Primary polls have pull

When voters go to the polls Tuesday, they will encounter something unusual: options.

In a part of the city known for ho-hum primary races and shoo-in incumbents, this year’s race is a political animal of a different stripe. Yet it is still a donkey — all of the contested local elections are in the Democratic Party.

No one on the local political scene can account for the reasons behind the increased activity, but all seem to agree the dollars and candidates being pumped into the primary are reinvigorating the electorate.

"What happens is people become important in a contested race," said Matt Myers, Democratic leader of Ward 39A. "More is brought to the table than less."

If primary races lack challengers, candidates and voters are "just going through the motions," he said. "Competition in any race makes people go out and get the vote."

Myers, incidentally, is supporting one of the primary insurgents — Mark Squilla, a state worker and community-group regular squaring off against sixth-term state Rep. Bill Keller in the 184th District.

Keller, for his part, believes the increased competition is "part of a cycle every 10-12 years."

So get out and vote. You might not get this varied a ballot for a long time.

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First Senatorial District

Philly voters have been treated to a rare sight this election season: TV commercials — and plenty of them — touting the record of incumbent state Sen. Vince Fumo.

Arguably the most powerful politician within city limits, it would seem overkill for the senator to run such an aggressive campaign. But Fumo said that in politics, it’s simply a matter of keeping up with the Joneses — or, in this case, the Tayouns.

Dr. James Tayoun, son of the former councilman, is hoping voters will at least consider a new face in the First, which encompasses most of South Philly.

"My opponent is well financed," said Fumo, 60. "He is going to spend over $300,000. You can never take a candidate with $300,000 lightly."

Fumo said much of that money came from Republican sources, making Tayoun a de facto GOPer.

The doctor, who has restricted his South Philly practice while campaigning, responded that 75 percent of his funding came from members of the Politically Active Physicians Association, which he founded, with the remainder contributed by family and friends.

Tayoun, 39, said he has been heartened by what he perceives as strong support against such a well-established legislator.

"People tell me it’s a close race," he said. "It shouldn’t even be a race."

Fumo, the acknowledged dean of the Philadelphia delegation, stressed that voting him out of office would cost the city 26 years of Senate experience and seniority, particularly on the influential Appropriations Committee, which he chairs. He estimates he has brought $5 billion to the district during his tenure.

"Drafting legislation is about getting stuff done. I have the skills to do that," Fumo said. "Seniority in any entity is important. When you get people in seniority, you want to protect that."

But Fumo’s most recent term might have been one of his most controversial. Late last year, he came under fire for not revealing the multimillion-dollar contributors to Citizens Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, the nonprofit group he helped found and for which he helps obtain funds. Fumo later disclosed the money came from PECO.

The senator maintains the story was a "vendetta" waged by The Inquirer, and believes his constituents are not concerned with the matter.

"Some people are going to read it," Fumo said, adding that was another motivation for increased campaigning, "but fortunately the people have seen through it … people, after 25, 26 years, get to know you."

He also has been partially in the line of fire over another Citizens Alliance issue — the fountain being constructed at 11th and Passyunk. The project was delayed and became an eyesore.

The problems arose after the group "did not give a detailed set of plans to the first contractor," Fumo said.

Now in the hands of a second contractor, the project should be done within a month, he said.

Citing recent reports that Pennsylvania ranks at the bottom of the list for economic growth and development, Tayoun argues that the district needs change.

While the challenger, a longtime committeeman, has built his political reputation solely on the issue of medical malpractice insurance rates — organizing physicians’ protests in Philadelphia and Harrisburg — he said he is prepared to take on all the concerns of the First District. Tayoun added that his role in the doctors’ group demonstrates his leadership.

"What this shows is that I can handle government by way of getting involved and bringing issues to the forefront," he said.

Tayoun’s platform is docked mostly on the Delaware River.

"We need to build the economic base in this city, and the easiest way to do that is the Delaware River, by dredging the port," said Tayoun.

He said the long-stalled project could spur business that would bring 17,000 jobs to the city, based on Chamber of Commerce estimates.

The challenger also pledged to tackle crime in the district, possibly by obtaining more funds for law enforcement.

The Democrats differ on the prospect of state-sponsored gambling.

Fumo is anxious to see slot-machine legislation passed and, like the governor, believes it is the most direct path to tax relief.

The senator would like to see individuals be able to choose between wage tax or property tax relief.

But Tayoun would rather keep slot machines out of Pennsylvania.

"I’m not a pro-gambling candidate," he said. "I think we should make better use of the resources in the state and develop what we can before we use gambling as a source for funding … I don’t think it is a good thing for the people."

John Morley Jr., who ran against Fumo as a Democrat four years ago, is now on the Republican side of the ballot.

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175th House District

Just as residents in the newly redistricted 175th are getting to know state Rep. Marie Lederer, someone new is vying to represent the area.

Sheila Ballen, a resident of Bella Vista for the last seven years, is running in the district that now includes her neighborhood and part of Queen Village.

Lederer, a Fishtown resident, said the new boundaries haven’t required her to change her approach to legislating.

"I think people all want the same thing — good schools, decent jobs, a clean environment, the streets to be safe and open green space," she said.

Lederer, 76, said she has worked to provide all those comforts and more during her six terms.

Most recently, she initiated an investigation into the time-release dosage of OxyContin after 14 people in her district died from reactions to the drug.

The incumbent also is proud of her quality-of-life record, most notably in the area of shutting down waterfront nuisance bars.

In Queen Village, Lederer secured money for a parking lot. She also has promoted the addition of senior housing and greenery in South Philly and Center City neighborhoods.

The legislator sits on the Urban Affairs, Arts and Education and Tourism committees.

Ballen, now a self-employed communications consultant for nonprofit organizations, has a political background, though she never held office.

She served in the Rendell mayoral administration as communications director for the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone, and worked on the campaigns of Allyson Schwartz in her bid for the U.S. Senate and former Councilwoman Happy Fernandez.

Ballen, 38, contended that she would be a more progressive choice for the district.

"All elected officials need to be leaders and go out and get things done rather than wait for them to fall on their desks," she said.

The catalyst for economic development lies in small businesses, the challenger said. She added the state has to step up in creating business strategies to aid entrepreneurs.

Ballen also cited the state’s "brain drain" of college graduates.

"Why are we at the bottom of the heap in keeping young people in the state?" she posed. "We have to attract, recruit and retain them."

As for public school students, Ballen believes they are underfunded and would fight for more money from the state.

The candidate’s staunch pro-choice stance has won her the support of women’s groups. The same groups, including Planned Parenthood, have given Lederer a "mixed" rating on "family planning and reproductive rights."

Rather than tout the popular Democratic agenda of using gambling revenues to fund tax relief, Ballen recommends changing the tax structure.

"We need to switch from property tax to a personal income tax," she said. "Now in Pennsylvania it is 2.8 percent — the average is 3.6, 3.7 percent."

Republican Greg Mester Jr. also is running in the district.

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182nd House District

The race for the 182nd can claim the distinction of being the most crowded in South Philadelphia.

The district, which now includes a good portion of Grays Ferry along with slices of Bella Vista and Queen Village, has been represented by Babette Josephs for the past 20 years. She is being challenged by Terry Gillen, an economic-development veteran of city and state government, and Andrew Hohns, an investment banker.

The competition is a positive, Josephs said: "It gives me a chance to get my message out."

That message is one of progressive social policies, wage tax relief and economic strategies.

Her political alliance with Gov. Rendell — who has endorsed Josephs — gives her power, she said, particularly in the area of education.

"I am a longtime public advocate of the public school system," she said, adding that she is against tuition vouchers. "I think they’re a school-killer."

Josephs, 63, said she has befriended colleagues, thus benefiting the district, during her time in office. One Pittsburgh representative, Jake Wheatley, drove 10 hours to campaign with her.

Like Sen. Fumo, she said her seniority is valuable to voters.

"It’s so important to Philadelphia," said Josephs. "If I don’t go back, the city loses one of its committee chairs."

Josephs chairs the House State Government Committee, which she said allows her to schedule bills.

As for Gillen, the candidate perceived as her closest competitor, Josephs expressed hurt and some criticism.

"Ms. Gillen is a technician. She is very good, I suppose, at the technical work she does," she said. "She is not good at all at making broad policy. She is not a people person. Look at how she treats the person who has been her mentor for so many years."

The challenger maintains her relationship with Josephs was strictly one of a fellow Democrat in the same district, and said the race is not personal.

"It’s really about effectiveness," she said.

Gillen, 48, is a longtime ward leader who made an unsuccessful bid for an at-large Council seat in 1999.

A resident of the 2200 block of Naudain Street, the challenger also has family roots in Grays Ferry.

"It’s a great district," she said of the 182nd. "I like the diversity."

Gillen has strong opinions on city issues, including Mayor Street’s battle against blight.

"I think his work on NTI [Neighborhood Transformation Initiative] is very disappointing," she said, adding that her community group has been thwarted in its efforts to take over a garden on an abandoned plot of land. To that end, she pledged to work on improving land-use rules in the state legislature.

Gillen said she already is skilled in the coalition-building necessary to succeed in Harrisburg.

"I have experience working with Republicans to get more funding for Philadelphia," said the candidate, who most recently served as Gov. Rendell’s director of policy for the Department of Community and Economic Development.

"I will make sure economic development is a priority, if elected, in this district," she said. "I’m the only candidate working to create jobs and boost the economy. Unless we turn this city around, we won’t have the money to create jobs."

Gillen named working on the reuse of the Navy Yard as her most rewarding professional experience.

"It was difficult, but very rewarding," she said. "We’ve turned that place around."

Hohns, who grew up in Center City and attended Masterman High, has accomplished more than the average 25-year-old.

For starters, this is his second run against Josephs, and this time around he has raised a surprising $200,000-plus.

The banker cofounded Young Involved Philadelphia, a group dedicated to increasing civic involvement among younger residents and pushing for reforms to improve the city.

His age is a benefit rather than a drawback, he insists, because "people don’t have cynicism at 25 years old."

He said he supports additional funding for community-based police initiatives, a position that he believes won him the endorsement of the FOP.

"I think it’s so important that an officer walks a beat," Hohns said. "You develop a rapport with the neighbors. You develop an understanding you can’t develop if you are standing on a corner or driving in a car."

Throughout his campaign, Hohns has placed an emphasis on Grays Ferry.

"The people in the neighborhood are so hard-working," he said. "It is such a strong contrast to the lack of representation they have."

Hohns criticized Josephs for closing her South Philly office, but the incumbent said she couldn’t justify the expense of the location after the redrawing of her district and insisted she is still looking out for the neighborhood. She recently won funds for the Italian Market Civic Association and the Santore (formerly Southwark) Library.

"I’m very proud of the resources I’ve been able to bring to South Philly," Josephs said.

The race also has a Republican candidate: Andrew Terhune.

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184th House District

Mark Squilla’s highest political office to date has been secretary of Whitman Council, but one might not know that by the aggressive campaign he is running against incumbent Rep. Bill Keller.

The 41-year-old challenger, who lives near Front Street and Snyder Avenue, said civic pride prompted him to seek the seat in the 184th District, which encompasses Pennsport, Whitman, the stadium-area neighborhoods east of Broad Street and a portion of the 48th Ward.

"We need to get back to old-time South Philly, so people can be proud of where we live," he said. "I don’t want to tell them what to do, but give them a voice.

"I want to work with each community group and organization, and have a leader in each neighborhood," added Squilla, who is on leave from his job as a systems analyst for the state auditor general’s office.

A committeeman in Ward 39B, the challenger said he would seek more state grants for senior programs, union apprentice programs, civic groups and playgrounds.

Keller, 53, who is seeking his seventh term, said he is proud of hs record, particularly on cleaning up blight and preserving much of Philadelphia’s port for industrial use.

"We got the port on everyone’s agenda to make sure its potential is fully realized," he said. "For the first time in decades, the port is up and running and the future is nothing but bright."

The Department of Defense’s decision to designate Philadelphia as the site of a strategic military seaport already has created jobs, Keller added.

It was his bill that preserved the land for seaport development while simultaneously halting any plans to build a racetrack in South Philadelphia.

The legislator said his success in replacing a long-vacant lot at Second and Jackson with senior housing has inspired him to do more. He formed the South Philadelphia Revitalization Coalition and is planning a development of at least 44 homes on the 400 and 500 blocks of Cantrell Street and the 500 block of Winton.

Squilla’s campaign needled Keller, a former longshoreman, after gaining an endorsement from the Philadelphia District Council of the International Longshoremen’s Association.

The incumbent responded that he has the support of the "mother local" of the group, as well as backing from the AFL-CIO and other unions.

As for Squilla’s charges that he is "in bed with Republicans" for voting for cuts in drug and alcohol treatment, mass transit and libraries in the state budget, Keller also had an answer.

"My opponent doesn’t understand the budgeting process," said the legislator, contending he would have thrown out more good than bad to vote against the budget.

Earlier this week, Keller visited Sacred Heart of Jesus School, 1329 E. Moyamensing Ave., to act on a brand-new initiative. Along with other representatives, he said, he developed a creative funding program for non-public schools.

Here’s how it works: "A corporation, in lieu of paying taxes to the state, can write it off, send it to an educational foundation, and then the foundation can turn around and give scholarships to children in need."

Sacred Heart students will receive $20,000 in scholarships, courtesy of Bravo and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The winner of Tuesday’s Democratic race will face Republican Mark R. Colangelo, of the 2800 block of South Seventh Street, in the general election.

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185th House District

Incumbent Rep. Robert Donatucci, whose district covers areas west of Broad from Passyunk Avenue to the Schuylkill River and parts of Southwest Philly and Delaware County, is running unopposed in the primary for his 13th term. As chair of the House Liquor Control Committee, he cosponsored legislation that would legalize coin-operated video gambling machines in taverns and liquor-licensed restaurants and hotels.

Donatucci will face Republican Joseph T. Apple in November.

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186th House District

Rep. Harold James, also without a Democratic challenger, is going for his ninth term in the 186th, which includes parts of Grays Ferry and Point Breeze, and Kingsessing in Southwest Philly. During his years in office, his agenda has focused on education and racial justice. He has awarded scholarships to striving students in his district.

James M. Goldman is running on the Republican ticket.