With Boyle off to Congress, state job up for grabs

Brendan Boyle ran for two legislative seats last year and had his choice of two oaths Tuesday: Swear in with the freshman class of U.S. representatives or retain his post in the Pennsylvania legislature.

He chose Congress, obviously, leaving his state House seat in Northeast Philadelphia vacant until a special election is held in the spring.

From his Washington office Tuesday, Boyle, 37, said that even though he was viewed as an underdog during the heated four-way Democratic primary for Allyson Y. Schwartz's congressional seat, he wasn't holding onto his old seat because he thought he'd need it.

"Had I not run for both seats, then it would have been the opportunity of a few select ward leaders to pick my replacement without an election, and that person would serve two years," he said, referring to the different rules that apply if a candidate withdraws from the ballot vs. vacating the post.

"Now people will actually have a choice, an election."

It was not immediately clear Wednesday when that election would take place. Tim Dowling, supervisor of elections for the Philadelphia city commissioners, said his office was "in a holding pattern" until officials in Harrisburg set a date.

That could be as early as March, but Dowling said it was more likely that the House will merge it with the already planned municipal primary on May 19 to save money.

"That would be tough, with the size of the ballot we're anticipating," Dowling said, noting that dozens of judicial seats and row offices will be up for grabs. "If we're ordered to put it on the primary ballot, we'll find a way to do it."

The 170th District used to include a tiny patch of Montgomery County, but redistricting maps this year moved it entirely into Philadelphia.

Republicans plan to nominate 26-year-old financial adviser Martina White, said Joseph DeFelice, executive director of the Republican City Committee. City Democratic leaders did not respond to requests for comment this week, but sources said at least two people have expressed interest in running.

Boyle has given his blessing to Seth Kaplan, 29, president of the Somerton Civic Association and a top aide to Boyle and his brother, State Rep. Kevin Boyle (D., Phila.), for several years.

The news site BillyPenn.com last month named Kaplan one of the 14 "Young Community Leaders Changing Philadelphia for the Better."

Although voter registration in the district is roughly 2-1 Democratic, DeFelice said, "I think we have a good opportunity to go out and try to win. . . . Especially in a special election, people shed party registration and vote for the candidate as a person."

The district was long a Republican stronghold. Boyle ran unsuccessfully in 2004 and 2006 before delivering the district to Democratic hands in 2008.

Since then, Boyle has run unopposed in every primary and defeated his one Republican challenger, 64 percent to 36 percent, in 2012.

With Democrats already at a 19-vote disadvantage in the House, Boyle's vacant seat won't be much missed, said Mike Herzing, a spokesman for the House Democratic Caucus.

"Early in the session, it's not likely that some of the closely fought issues will come up," he said. "Not until June, when we do the budget."

In the meantime, Herzig said, the caucus will keep Boyle's district offices open to provide constituent services.

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Inquirer staff writer Jonathan Tamari contributed to this article.