Verna's retirement leaves lively field to succeed her on Council

The election in the Second Council District has not been this interesting since before the country's bicentennial.

With Council President Anna C. Verna having held that seat firmly since 1975, her decision to join four Council colleagues in retirement has been the most significant in this year of political turnover.

The battle to succeed her has been crowded and competitive, with as many as 13 people considering a run. Five candidates remain, vying to represent a diverse swath of the city stretching from Rittenhouse Square to Eastwick.

"I must have made the job look very easy," Verna joked last week.

As with nearly every contest in the city, the winner of the Democratic primary May 17 will be the presumed Council member-in-waiting. The four Democratic candidates are:

The winner will face Republican Ivan Cohen, who has no primary challenger.

All four Democrats downplayed the notion that a winner would be picked on anything other than merit.

Gordon did admit feeling "subtle pressure" from Johnson supporters to get out of the race for fear of splitting the black vote and giving the advantage to Capozzi, the lone Italian American candidate.

Gordon said it was time "to get past" that type of political thinking.

"We are a melting pot, and to bring in race is an insult to the Second District," she said. "I'm going after the Italian vote, too."

While black residents maintain a plurality in the district, with nearly 49 percent of the population, and the number of white residents has dropped in the last 10 years, many of the neighborhoods are becoming increasingly diverse through immigration and gentrification.

The latest census figures show the number of Asians and Hispanics ascending rapidly, and whites moving into Point Breeze have touched off tensions with long-term black residents who fear being pushed out of their neighborhood.

What role Verna, who plans to keep her leadership of the district's 36th Ward, will play in selecting her successor remains unclear.

She invited all the candidates to speak at the last ward meeting March 24. Last week, Verna said she did not plan to make an endorsement but would support whichever candidate her ward voted to back.

But she also said she reserved the right to change her mind and throw her considerable influence behind a candidate.

"I think people are still very uncertain about which direction they want to go," she said.

Verna and Capozzi long have been allies. In recent years, Verna has made Capozzi her pick to sit on the Commission on Parks and Recreation and an appeals panel of the Board of Revision of Taxes.

But Capozzi said she did not consider herself an heir to Verna.

"Our styles are different," she said. "But in terms of good government and people first and constituency service . . . I think I'm the closest to her in that respect."

The Democratic Party also has not endorsed a candidate, but the sense among Capozzi, Damon, and Gordon was that Johnson was the favored candidate.

Johnson, a protege of late State Sen. Hardy Williams, has been wrapping up several other important endorsements, including the backing of three of the district's wards, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the Philadelphia AFL-CIO.

His three Democratic opponents spoke of running "grassroots" campaigns, describing themselves variously as underdogs and outsiders taking their messages directly to the voters.

"This race is not going to be won on money alone," Roberts said. "This race is going to be won by talking to people about their hopes and dreams. . . . Politics as usual in Philadelphia is just not going to cut it."

Johnson brushed off the mantle of favorite, despite acknowledging the advantage of being known to many voters. In 2008, he unseated a 22-year incumbent with 65 percent of the vote and won reelection in 2010 with 83 percent.

"I'm running on a track record of doing public service," he said. "Because of the work I've done in South Philadelphia, people know about me in Center City, they know about me in Southwest. . . . I'm still going after every vote aggressively."

All the candidates spoke of blight and the abandoned properties plaguing the district. Gordon, especially, has earned a reputation for her efforts to beautify her neighborhood near Cobbs Creek Park.

She cherished her role as one of the antiestablishment candidates, saying she hoped to energize people to get the polls.

"Experienced people are running this city into a hole," she said. "Look what experience has gotten us. Maybe we need to buck the system."

Economic development and crime also rank high among the district's concerns.

Capozzi, who has the most extensive business background among the candidates, said the city needed to run more efficiently and become more business-friendly.

"I'm not a thousand percent business," she said. "I have always in my civic jobs accommodated businesses with residents."

Johnson, who formed the nonprofit Peace Not Guns after the shooting death of a cousin, was elected in 2008 on a strong public-safety platform. In Harrisburg, he formed a Peace Not Guns caucus, and he said he would do the same on Council.

He said he would work on initiatives to renovate recreation centers, playgrounds, and ball fields.

"That's what some of the people have been talking about: Where can young people have the opportunity to have good time in a safe environment?" he said.

Roberts said his run against Verna had shown his commitment to the district.

"I'm not just running for an open seat," he said. "I'm running because I genuinely want to make a difference regarding the major issues in the district."

He said he had been inspired to run again after his 12-year-old stepson witnessed a homicide in front of their home at 17th and Reed Streets.

Roberts said he had asked himself, "Are we getting the kind of advocacy we need on this issue, and am I willing to step up and provide that?"

"The answer was I have to," he said.

Age: 58

Education: Villanova University, undergrad. Temple Law School.

Family: Married, one stepdaughter.

Occupation: Third-generation Realtor and developer.

Website: www.capozziforcouncil.com

Age: 48

Education: Temple University, bachelor's degree in business administration.

Family: Single, four grown children. Three attend community college. Her oldest daughter is a Philadelphia police officer.

Occupation: Full-time campaign and civic work. Website: www.tracey4council.com

Age: 37

Education: Mansfield University, undergrad. University of Pennsylvania, master's degree in government administration.

Family: Single, no children.

Occupation: State representative from the 186th Legislative District.

Website: www.citizensforkenyatta johnson.com

Age: 40

Education: Harvard University, undergrad. Howard University School of Law.

Family: Married, two children.

Occupation: Real estate lawyer.

Website: www.damonkroberts.com

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