2007 Philadelphia mayoral election

The 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election was held to select the replacement for incumbent Mayor John F. Street, who was prevented from being re-elected a third time by term limits. Nearly four out of five Philadelphia voters are registered Democrats and the city has not elected a Republican mayor in close to sixty years.{{cite journal | first=Patrick | last=Walters |date=15 May 2007 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/15/AR2007051501160.html?hpid=topnews | title=Ex-Philly Pol Wins Dem. Mayoral Primary | journal=Associated Press }}

The two major issues in the mayoral campaign were crime and corruption. Philadelphians felt crime was the most important issue because of the city's rising murder rate. There were more than 400 murders in 2006, the most in almost a decade. Corruption was also an important issue. A corruption probe resulted in the conviction a close to two dozen people, some with close ties to Mayor John F. Street. An early poll on issues concerning young adults, crime was the number one issue with public transit, economic development, education and job growth rounding out the top five.{{cite web | title=Voice of Young Philadelphia: Decide, Discuss, Vote Survey: Top 5 Issues of 2007 | publisher=Young America PAC, Young Involved Philadelphia, Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce's Young Professional Network | url=http://www.thenextmayor.com/documents/youngphiladelphiasurvey.pdf | access-date=2007-07-11 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070710211513/http://www.thenextmayor.com/documents/youngphiladelphiasurvey.pdf |archive-date = July 10, 2007}}

File:Philadelphia mayoral candidate forum 2007.jpg

Philadelphia City Council member Michael Nutter won the Democratic mayoral primary on May 15. His opponent, businessman Tom Knox came in second, with congressmen Bob Brady and Chaka Fattah and State Representative Dwight Evans coming in third, fourth, and fifth respectively.

Businessman Tom Knox had started off strong as his self-financed campaign created a barrage of advertising. However, Nutter's message of government reform and criticism of mayor Street gained him enough support to win the primary.

[[File:Philadelphia Mayor Democratic Primary 2007 by Ward.svg|thumb|Democratic primary results by ward

{{collapsible list

|title = {{legend|#51C2C2|Nutter}}|{{legend|#D0F9F9|20%-30%}}|{{legend|#ACF2F2|30%-40%}}|{{legend|#7DDDDD|40%-50%}}|{{legend|#51C2C2|50%-60%}}|{{legend|#2AACAC|60%-70%}}|{{legend|#009696|70%-80%}}

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{{collapsible list

|title = {{legend|#FF9A50|Knox}}|{{legend|#FFDAC1|20%-30%}}|{{legend|#FFCCA9|30%-40%}}|{{legend|#FFB580|40%-50%}}|{{legend|#FF9A50|50%-60%}}|{{legend|#EE8E50|60%-70%}}

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|title = {{legend|#FF80B2|Brady}}|{{legend|#FFC5DA|30%-40%}}|{{legend|#FFAACC|40%-50%}}

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|title = {{legend|#E3A82D|Evans}}|{{legend|#FFC14C|40%-50%}}

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|center]]

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Democratic primary results{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-primary|title=2007 Primary Election|publisher=Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519223434/http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-primary|archive-date=May 19, 2014}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Michael Nutter

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 106,805

| percentage = 36.64

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Tom Knox

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 71,731

| percentage = 24.61

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Bob Brady

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 44,474

| percentage = 15.26

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Chaka Fattah

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 44,301

| percentage = 15.20

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Dwight Evans

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 22,782

| percentage = 7.82

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Queena Bass

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 950

| percentage = 0.33

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Jesus White

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 437

| percentage = 0.15

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Write-in

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| votes = 12

| percentage = 0.00

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 291,492

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}Results by ward

Al Taubenberger became the Republican nominee after running unopposed.

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Republican primary results{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-primary|title=2007 Primary Election|publisher=Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519223434/http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-primary|archive-date=May 19, 2014}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Al Taubenberger

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 17,449

| percentage = 99.50

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| candidate = Write-in

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| votes = 88

| percentage = 0.50

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 17,537

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

On November 6, Michael Nutter easily won the mayoral election, receiving 83.4% of the vote to Taubenberger's 17.3%. The margin of victory is the largest since 1931.{{cite web|author1=Associated Press|title=Philly mayor-elect has largest margin of victory since 1931|url=http://www.whptv.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=35119ab8-cdbe-4c3a-9121-eb2e72d12c7c|website=whptv.com|access-date=May 31, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206001322/http://www.whptv.com/news/state/story.aspx?content_id=35119ab8-cdbe-4c3a-9121-eb2e72d12c7c|archive-date=December 6, 2007 |date=November 7, 2007}} Nutter's margin of victory was so large the Associated Press declared a winner after just one percent of the vote was counted. Turnout in the election was light with only 28.7 percent of registered voters casting a ballot. The 2007 election had the lowest turnout in a Philadelphia mayoral election without an incumbent since the Home Rule Charter of 1951.{{cite news | first=Chris | last=Brennan |date=7 November 2007 | title=Voter turnout was, well, light | url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/elections/20071107_Voter_turnout_was__well__light.html |newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News}}

In the general election, the candidates for Mayor were:

• Michael Nutter – A former Philadelphia City Councilman who left his seat in 2006 to run for mayor as a Democrat.
• Al Taubenberger – The President of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce who ran as a Republican.{{cite news | first=Marcia | last=Gelbart |date=11 June 2007 | title= 'I've got nothing to lose' | newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer | page=B01}}
• John Staggs – A Germantown meat packer who ran as a member of the Socialist Workers Party.{{cite news | first=Bob | last=Warner |date=2 August 2007 | title=Germantown's John Staggs files for mayoral race on Socialist ticket | page=10| newspaper=Philadelphia Daily News }}

In the general election, Michael Nutter became the odds-on favorite to win the election. Nutter raised US$2.9 million for his campaign while Taubenberger raised no more than US$20,000. The candidates held numerous joint appearances and had few disagreements. Towards the end of the race Taubenberger was advertising himself as the "super underdog" .{{cite news | first=Marcia | last=Gelbart |author2=Patrick Kerkstra |date=7 November 2007 | url=http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/11074891.html | title=Nutter: 'A New Day' | newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer}}

One of the most significant disagreements on issues the two candidates had was on Nutter's "stop and frisk" proposal. The proposal would allow police officers to stop and frisk people suspected of carrying illegal firearms. Taubenberger criticized the proposal, which was also criticized by Nutter's opponents in the primary and Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson, saying the proposal could be abused and violate civil rights. Taubenberger proposed hiring more police officers to reduce the city's high murder rate.

Other disagreements dealt with the city's requirement that public employees live within the city, which Taubenberger proposed removing. Nutter said he would keep the rule, but would remove the restriction that allows only people who have lived in the city for at least one year to apply for city positions. Nutter and Taubenberger also disagreed on the city's decision to charge rent for the Cradle of Liberty Council as result of the Boy Scouts of America's policy on homosexuality which the city says violates its laws on discrimination. Nutter supported the decision saying his administration would not subsidize discrimination. Taubenberger said the decision was wrong because the Boy Scouts do too much good and keep kids off the streets.{{cite news | first=Thomas | last=Fitzgerald |date=5 November 2007 | title=Taubenberger takes on Nutter in a final debate | newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |page=B01}}

{{Election box begin | title=Philadelphia mayoral election, 2007{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-general|title=2007 General Election|publisher=Office of the Philadelphia City Commissioners|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531180805/http://www.philadelphiavotes.com/en/resources-a-data/prior-year-election-results/2007-general|access-date=July 26, 2024|archive-date=May 31, 2014}}}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Democratic Party (US)|candidate=Michael Nutter|votes=227,090|percentage=82.52|change=+25.2}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Republican Party (US)|candidate=Al Taubenberger|votes=46,984|percentage=17.07|change=-26.3}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Socialist Workers Party (US)|candidate=John Staggs|votes=1,038|percentage=0.38|change=N/A}}

{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Independent (politician)|candidate=Write-in candidates|votes=78|percentage=0.03|change=N/A}}

{{Election box turnout||votes=275,190|percentage=28.9|change=}}

{{Election box hold with party link|

|winner = Democratic Party (US)

|swing =

}}

{{Election box end}}Results by ward

{{Reflist}}

{{Portal|Philadelphia}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180925050139/http://www.thenextmayor.com/ The Next Mayor: an election website sponsored by Philadelphia Daily News, WHYY, and the Committee of 70.]
• [http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/special_packages/mayor/ Philadelphia Inquirer website on the race]

{{Sequence

| prev= 2003

| list= Philadelphia mayoral election
2007

| next= 2011

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{{2007 United States elections}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Philadelphia Mayoral Election, 2007}}

Category:2007 in Philadelphia

Category:2007 Pennsylvania elections

Category:2007 United States mayoral elections

2007