Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Seth Williams in demand

With Michael Nutter, Ed Rendell and even New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg handing out endorsements in tight races for Philadelphia City Council, none is in more demand than the golden-boy District Attorney, Rufus Seth Williams.

Williams has torn through most of his first-term agenda in less than 17 months, taking on crooked cops and the Catholic Church and moving quickly to assign prosecutors by geogrpahy and relegate minor marijuana charges to the level of speeding tickets.

Now he is suddenly all over the campaign trail for everyone but himself.

On Tuesday the Democratic D.A. endorsed former U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy for Pennsylvania Attorney General. Monday, he was at his favorite law-and-order backdrop, the Fraternal Order of Police, to endorse Councilwoman Maria Quinones Sanchez in the Seventh District (North and Northeast Philly). On Friday he held two separate press conferences, one at the FOP for Bobby Henon in the Sixth District (Port Richmond, Lower Northeast) and then to the Chew Playground in to to endorse Kenyatta Johnnson in the 2nd District (South and Southwest Philly).

Williams, a likely mayoral candidate in 2015, says he hands out his endorsements based on policy, but it also looks a lot like good allegiance-building from here.

Williams bet early on Nutter, when disgruntled politicos were telling him to hold out for leverage. He endorsed Cindy Bass for Council in the 8th District (Germantown, Mount Airy, Chestnut Hil), giving him capital with U.S. Chaka Fattah, her employer. He also endorsed incumbent at-large Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, another Fattah protege. His endorsements of incumbent Council members W. Wilson Goode Jr. and Jim Kenney can only strengthen his friendships on Council. Andy Toy, a challenger for a Democratic at-large seat, helped Williams' campaign in 2008; Williams is paying Toy back with his support.

And endorsing Henon makes FOP President John McNesby, a key ally and Henon backer, very happy.

But Williams has shown a political gift since he arrived in office. He won Council over from the beginning, when he invited members and their staffs over to his offices, the inside of which most had never seen.

Does all this mean Williams for Mayor in 2015? Magic Eight Ball says "Yes."

"If you're really committed to public safety, you really need to be mayor and governor," said Williams, not committing to the race but repeating a lesson taught to him by another former D.A., former Mayor, former Governor, Ed Rendell. "I would never rule out a way to help."

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.