8 a.m.
39th Ward, 44th Division
Thomas Middle School
The first voters of the day plow en masse through a thin-but-lingering morning fog to get to the polls. Reports come in from around the city that early turnout is heavy — and election officials at Ninth and Johnston concur, declaring traffic during the first hour to be much busier than in 1999.
Supporters for both Katz and Street come out for the rematch.
"Today is a tough day for voters," Sam Katz voter Barbara Earlori says. "I think this city needs a change."
"The charges against the mayor are fake, but he needs to come to South Philadelphia more often," says Judith Jolley, who voted for Mayor Street.
8:20 a.m.
First Ward, 19th Division
Jokers NYA
"My dog’s got more fleas than we got voters," declares judge of elections Ray McMullen. By the lack of action at 1602 S. Second St., one can surmise McMullen has a pretty clean canine. There is also little evidence either campaign cared much about the division, except for a stack of Street literature deposited on a nearby step.
"It’s a disgrace," McMullen says. "There are people dying for the right to vote. We got it and people don’t even want to do it."
Perhaps the Street campaign wanted it that way. Last election, Katz captured 73 percent of the votes cast in the First Ward, despite that 78 percent of the voters in the area are Democrats and that the First Ward is home base for Street supporter John Dougherty, head of electricians union Local 98.
8:30 a.m.
First Ward, 18th Division
Voters trickle into the polling place at 1801 S. Second St. Democratic committeeman Nick Armata reports 43 so far. The division has 577 registered voters, he says. If 200 turn out, it’s about average, and 300 is a strong election.
"People in the ward don’t even want to come out and vote no more," Armata says.
A Lincoln rolls up to the corner and ward leader Joseph Hoffman steps out of the passenger side. He predicts the mayor will beat Katz by 10-15 percent of the vote, but his expectations for his own ward are less grand.
"What I’m trying for here, in a Caucasian neighborhood," Hoffman says, "is 30 percent of the vote for Street and he’s the winner."
In 1999, Street received 26 percent of the votes in the First Ward.
Hoffman has heard from voters, particularly younger ones, who plan to vote for Katz again.
"The younger people don’t realize what we have. Everything we have is from a Democratic administration," he says. "We have Social Security, Medicare, PACE, unemployment compensation. We never had that. Never.
"I was working making $9 a week. [President Franklin D.] Roosevelt got in and the next thing you know, I got $14.95. I thought I was rich."
Around the corner, a steady stream of thick-necked cement masons from Local 592 flows into the Edward O’Malley Recreation Center, Front and Moore streets. Inside, a folding table supports several 3-foot-high piles of sweatshirts with green lettering and what would become a ubiquitous Election Day slogan: "Don’t let the Republicans hijack City Hall."
The Review asks to take a picture of the impressive pile, but is asked to leave.
9:05 a.m.
St. Stanislaus Church
Second Ward, 15th, 26th and 27th divisions
Voters began lining up outside St. Stanislaus Parish Hall, 242 Fitzwater St., at 6:45 a.m. Two hours after the polls opened, more than 300 residents had cast ballots. Kenny Young, the Democratic committeeperson for the 27th division and the judge of elections, calls it the highest morning turnout he has ever witnessed, noting people waited as long as 15 minutes to vote.
"We’ve never had a line — even for the presidential [election] — never had a line like this," Young says.
About 20 Katz and Street supporters mill around outside, including a pair of bikers who had rode their motorcycles into the quiet Queen Village neighborhood and parked them on the sidewalk. Anti-Republican T-shirts are draped across both bikes’ handlebars. The owner of one agrees to a picture of the motorcycle, so long as neither he nor his license plate is photographed.
The 27th division has a "very liberal base," Young says, "a lot of intellectuals, a lot of professors, a lot of gays and lesbians. I would say this is the most liberal division in the whole city.
"But since the real estate tax problems and a lot of quality-of-life issues from South Street, a lot of people have voiced to me that they are very upset with this current administration."
However, Young says, over the last two weeks, "people went back to their liberal base. Even though they are upset with the administration, they are liberals, they are just real liberals down here."
In 1999, Katz beat Street in the Second Ward, receiving 69 percent of the vote. More than 70 percent of the voters in the area are registered Democrats.
10:15 a.m.
Palumbo Recreation Center
Second Ward, 18th, 22nd and 23rd divisions
Karen Ritacco leaves her polling place at 10th and Fitzwater after casting her ballot for Katz. She says she likes the effort the GOP candidate’s campaign has made to be inclusive and feels he has attempted to keep the focus on the issues.
"Mr. Katz talked about getting away from all the things that are going on and talking about the important issues, like changing the city," says the resident of the 700 block of South Seventh Street. "And he is more open to different people — Asians, Spanish, whites, blacks, you name it."
12:20 p.m.
Famous Fourth Street Deli
The eatery at Fourth and Bainbridge teems with politicians looking for a midday snack and media members hungry for a midday sound bite. Both are satisfied.
The crowd is largely Democratic. Republican Frank Rizzo Jr. makes an appearance, but Katz is a no-show.
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah arrives, comments on the reports of alleged improprieties at polling places, and pumps up the mayor. The mayor dines with a rotating cast of pols, including Council members Rick Mariano and Blondell Reynolds Brown and soon-to-be Councilman-at-Large Juan Ramos at a table near the window as photographers snap pictures through the glass.
As Street leaves, he comments on the reports of alleged attacks and dirty tactics at various polls around the city.
"It’s a big election and it’s a big city, and it’s inevitable that there will be some conflict at the polls," the mayor says. "Most of it is fairly routine … The other thing is that were you to have an election like this, where people are really intent on voting, you hear about this more than you do than when it is a routine election."
12:45 p.m.
Broad Street and Oregon Avenue
Five volunteers hold their "Sam Katz for Mayor" signs high so oncoming drivers will keep their candidate’s name fresh in their minds. Their message was not well received by all motorists.
"We were cursed at and had trash thrown on us," says one supporter.
"It is a hot day, and we don’t need this kind of negative attention," says another.
1 p.m.
St. Monica’s Bowling Alley
26th Ward, Seventh and Eighth divisions
A steady flow of voters at 16th and Shunk resulted in one of the largest voter turnouts in recent history in the divisions — much greater than in 1999, say election officials monitoring the polls.
Katz claimed 84 percent of the vote in the ward four years ago. The neighborhood appeared to be headed toward a similar result this year.
"I switched from being a Democrat to a Republican because of this year’s election," D’Angelo Steel says. "I voted for Katz."
"The FBI probe polarized the community in terms of the election tactics of both candidates," Vincent Marciano says.
3:30 p.m.
Girard Academic Music Program
26th Ward, 15th Division
"Turnout has been pretty good all day long," Rosetta Conigliaro says, against a backdrop of noisy GAMP students emptying out of the school. As a small number of voters trickles through the gates at 22nd and Ritner, Conigliaro adds she believes the Katz campaign had done a much better job of getting the base out this time around.
"We’ve had about 7,000 volunteers helping us out, knocking on doors, hanging fliers in and around the neighborhood, and just getting people involved," Conigliaro says. "If people really stop and think about the issues, Sam will definitely win."
3:45 p.m.
Passyunk Library
26th Ward, 13th Division
With his wife, son and a few aides in tow, Sam Katz eagerly hops from his trademark minivan to greet a group of dedicated supporters at 20th and Shunk.
An impromptu photo shoot with Katz and his fans in front of the library is interrupted by a child who looks the candidate in the eye and tells him matter-of-factly that "no one wants you to be mayor, Mr. Katz."
"Oh well, then I guess that takes care of tonight," Katz jokes.
When asked to rate his effectiveness at increasing the number of voters from his base as compared to the ’99 election, Katz says he believed his campaign had reversed the disappointment it faced four years ago.
"We’ve worked to get the diversity of this city — Democrats, Republicans, unions, volunteers and even students — to really help us out today," he says.
Katz makes his way back to the minivan after a brief stop inside the library, and prepares for additional stops along the way.
"I’m a little tired." Katz says. "We’ve been going since before 7 o’clock this morning, so it’s starting to catch up with me a little bit, but I’m looking forward to a great night."
4 p.m.
St. Thomas Aquinas Youth Center
36th Ward, 11th Division
The good weather has not translated into a busy day for the volunteers sitting outside 18th and Fernon. The most it could do was give them hope that things would pick up after 5 or 6 p.m.
"I’m sure [both candidates] have done a good job of getting their base out, but it’s been pretty slow here all day," Daryl Jackson says. "You’d think the weather would help the turnout a lot, but it hasn’t really done much of anything yet."
Jackson, who counts himself among a number of undecided voters, says he expects a close election, but was dismayed by the lack of voter turnout.
"This is a really important time in our city’s history," he says. "It’s an important election. We’re facing a lot of issues that will affect a lot of people, and I hope people start showing up and voting."
Street won 83 percent of the votes in the 36th Ward in 1999.
4:15 p.m.
Fire Engine Co. 24
36th Ward, Third Division
Although Maryann Bryant, of 22nd and Federal, voted earlier this morning, she isn’t done voicing her belief that the city needs a new mayor.
"We have abandoned houses all over and need some help in South Philly," Bryant says. "Funds are limited and that also needs to be fixed."
Nathan Chatmon, who lives near 20th and Federal, agrees.
"It is time for a change," he says. "Street has done a good job, but his policies don’t affect the real community — the low [-income] working-class people."
4:15 p.m.
Holy Spirit School
26th Ward, First Division
The school on the 1800 block of Hartranft Street is one of the busiest spots in South Philly, with as many as 10 voters traipsing in and out.
"We’ve been here since about 6:30, and I think the turnout’s been better than average so far," Marty McCrossen says. "I’m sure it’ll be booming by about 6 p.m."
While he says it was hard to judge how many Street or Katz voters had passed through the school thus far, McCrossen thought Katz had done a much better job of getting his base out this time around.
"You know, he’s doing what can," McCrossen says of Katz’s efforts, "but I think it might be a little too late in the game for him now."
4:30 p.m.
Vare Middle School
48th Ward, Ninth Division
The poll at 24th and Jackson is deserted.
There are no standard "Reelect Street" signs adorning the school building, no red, white and blue "Katz 2003" placards hanging on the fence.
An elderly couple walks across the parking lot, but only to take a peek at police officers that were called to a convenience store.
So where were the voters?
"It’s been kind of steady all day long, but it always picks up later, you know," volunteer B.J. Novak says.
The Street campaign is relying more on phone calls than a physical presence at the polls in this neighborhood, he adds.
"I’ve seen Katz signs and Katz people all over the place today, but not really as many Street people. There’s still a good number of voters, though, so they’re probably doing it through the phone banks," Novak says.
With that, he settles back into his chair, just waiting for things to pick up.
4:31 p.m.
48th Ward, First Division
Katz is scheduled to stop by the poll at 18th and Passyunk, according to his campaign. A volunteer at the poll says he rode past and waved about a half-hour earlier, but didn’t get out to greet his supporters.
8 p.m.
The polls close, but many Philadelphians are still waiting in line to choose their candidates. The last vote would be cast in Roxborough around 10 p.m. After the official close of the polls, John Street soon jumps out to a dominant lead that would last all night. The Associated Press declares the incumbent the winner before 11 p.m.
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By R. Jonathan Tuleya, Alexis Abate, David Gambacorta and Anthony Scafide
How it added up
Mayor
John Street (D) 259,298
Sam Katz (R) 183,162
John Staggs (SW) 1,242
City Council, First District
Frank DiCicco (D) 23,980
Rick Cataldi (R) 12,466
City Council, Second District
Anna Verna (D) 30,278
Paula Terreri (R) 6,098
City Council, At-Large
James Kenney (D) 265,430
David Cohen (D) 258,545
Wilson Goode Jr. (D) 250,668
Juan Ramos (D) 242,722
Blondell Reynolds Brown (D) 236,500
Frank Rizzo Jr. (R) 141,051
Jack Kelly (R) 109,725
James McDermott (R) 103,094
David Oh (R) 95,654
David Hardy (R) 81,337
Will Mega (I) 2,913
Hilda Cuzco (SW) 1,629
All results are with 97 percent of precincts reporting
Results of southphillyreview.com poll
(167 votes cast)
Sam Katz 69%
John Street 25%
Other 1%
Undecided 2%
Not Voting 3%
