Ex-Council aide, Hill activist vie for Pa. House seat
Democrat Cherelle Parker and Republican Bob Rossman
are seeking to succeed state Sen. LeAnna Washington

By MICHAEL J. MISHAK

Northwest voters will again find themselves confronted in September with that most peculiar species of political animal: the special election.

A contest between Democrat Cherelle Parker, a former aide to City Councilwoman Marian Tasco, and Republican Robert Rossman, a retired computer programmer and longtime area activist, will decide the successor to state Sen. LeAnna Washington.

Washington, who served nearly six terms in the state House of Representatives, switched legislative chambers last month after winning a special election in May. She follows now-U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, who vacated the state Senate seat in January when she was sworn into Congress.

Despite coverage in the local press, the game of political musical chairs seems to have roused little interest among the electorate. In May, the special election to fill the vacant state Senate seat coincided with the city's Democratic primary, but attracted just 14 percent of that district's registered voters.

This time, with the House race the only contest on the ballot, low voter turnout is all but guaranteed. House leaders have set the special election for Sept. 13.

Both candidates have the benefit of name recognition in parts of the district because of their backgrounds in community activism, but Parker has the political support of the Northwest's powerful Democratic machine, which is run by city powerbrokers like state Rep. Dwight Evans and Councilwoman Tasco, Parker's former boss.

Rossman faces a formidable challenge in a legislative district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a ratio of more than 7-1. The 200th District includes parts of Andorra, Chestnut Hill, Mt. Airy and West Oak Lane.

Still, Rossman, resounding a similar theme among local GOP candidates, said low voter turnout could work to his advantage, especially if he captures significant slices of the 9th and 22nd wards where he is known for his work with groups like the Mt. Airy Community Services Corp. and events like Mt. Airy Day.

For Parker, 32, election to the state House would provide the pulpit to continue the advocacy work she began as an undergraduate at Lincoln University, she said. While a freshman, Parker chaired a group called Avenue of the Arts, which focused on revitalizing Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane. Over the years the effort morphed into an annual neighborhood jazz festival.

A longtime intern, Parker joined Tasco's full-time staff in 1995 after a short stint teaching high school English in Pleasantville, N.J. In Council, she initially served as a spokeswoman and was later promoted to the position of special projects coordinator.

In that capacity, Parker oversaw recreation projects and played point for several commercial revitalization efforts throughout the 9th Councilmanic District, which includes West Oak Lane and parts of North Philadelphia and the Lower Northeast.

As a result of her work, she said, a planning firm is currently drafting a comprehensive plan for commercial corridors throughout Tasco's district. In compliance with the City Charter, Parker resigned earlier this month to run for public office.

If elected, Parker, who lives in Mt. Airy, said she would apply her experience to business districts in neighborhoods like Chestnut Hill. "I'm a results-oriented person," she said. "It's not enough to have a vision. The people have to be able to touch, feel and see something."

Among the issues she would champion in Harrisburg: public transportation, education and long-term care for senior citizens.

For Rossman, 62, the core campaign issue is school reform. If elected, the longtime Chestnut Hill resident would play the role of schools advocate, addressing the strengths and weaknesses in each of the district's schools. "As a Republican, I'm a great believer in individuality," Rossman said. "And that's not just for individuals but for institutions as well."

This campaign marks the candidate's third run for the House seat in the last 13 years. In 1992, Rossman garnered about 15 percent of the vote in a bid to oust then-state Rep. Gordon Linton. A decade later, the Republican fell to LeAnna Washington, capturing about 12 percent of the vote.

A retired computer programmer, Rossman has volunteered his service to the Wissahickon Charter School in Hunting Park for the last two years. There, he recruited students to run the children's games at the annual Mt. Airy Day, he said.

"Change doesn't happen by people sitting in an office somewhere waiting for things to be brought to their attention," Rossman said. He takes pride in his work as president of the Mt. Airy Community Services Corp., which oversees the Mt. Airy Learning Tree, Mt. Airy Baseball and the Mt. Airy Community Computer Center.

A Republican committeeman for two decades, Rossman said he's watched the district's Democratic incumbents coast from election to election without much to show their constituents. "[Northwest politicians] haven't fixed the city," he said. "It's time for a change."