Neilson likely to resign from Council to run for state House seat

Ed Neilson, a member of City Council for 10 months, appears ready to resign this week so he can run in his third special election in four years.

Democratic ward leaders in Northeast Philadelphia unanimously voted Tuesday evening for Neilson as their party's candidate in an Aug. 11 special election to fill the vacant 174th District state House seat, according to Neilson spokesman Frank Keel.

Neilson may resign from his at-large Council seat on Friday, Keel said.  Council's summer break starts that day.

The Democratic City Committee will consider the ward leaders' recommendation for Neilson Friday and then pass it along for approval by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.  Candidates for the special election must be certified with the Pennsylvania Department of State by 5 p.m. Monday.

The Aug. 11 special election also includes vacant seats in the 191st District in Southwest Philadelphia and Delaware County and the 195th District, which stretches from North Philadelphia to 30th Street Station.

Neilson is a former political director for Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and worked in Gov. Ed Rendell's administration.

He won a 2012 special election for the 169th District state House seat.  That seat was then moved in the redistricting process to York County.

Neilson won a special election last year for a Council at-large seat that opened up when Bill Green IV resigned to become a member of the School Reform Commission.  Neilson lost his bid in the May 17 primary election for a full four-year term in that seat.

The 174th District seat is vacant because John Sabatina Jr. won a May 17 special election to fill a state Senate seat that had been vacated in January by Lt. Gov. Mike Stack III.

Tim Dailey and Ross Feinberg are seeking the Republican nomination for the 174th District.  The Republican ward leaders will vote Thursday evening to select a candidate.

Dailey, a history teacher at Father Judge High School, lost the May 17 state Senate special election to Sabatina. Feinberg is the Republican nominee for Register of Wills in the Nov. 3 general election.

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