I’ve attended two community forums since last month to hear some of the Democrats who tossed their hats into the ring to run for Congressman Dwight Evans’ seat. Evans is retiring at the end of 2026.
Most recently, on Jan. 13, I went to the panel discussion hosted by the 59th and 12th wards at Center in the Park as reported in the Chestnut Hill Local on Jan. 21 (“Germantown Congressional forum draws crowd.”) Five contenders participated in the roundtable.
Problem is, at least 10 plan to run. Just like the event organized by the 9th Ward last month, only three currently elected …
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I’ve attended two community forums since last month to hear some of the Democrats who tossed their hats into the ring to run for Congressman Dwight Evans’ seat. Evans is retiring at the end of 2026.
Most recently, on Jan. 13, I went to the panel discussion hosted by the 59th and 12th wards at Center in the Park as reported in the Chestnut Hill Local on Jan. 21 (“Germantown Congressional forum draws crowd.”) Five contenders participated in the roundtable.
Problem is, at least 10 plan to run. Just like the event organized by the 9th Ward last month, only three currently elected officials — including the son of a former Philadelphia mayor — plus two physicians were on stage. Dr. Ala Stanford was admitted because Evans anointed her to succeed him and because she has achieved a level of local celebrity as founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium. Also, President Biden appointed her to be a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regional director, Mid-Atlantic Region, in April 2022.
Unknown Dr. David Oxman from South Philadelphia was on the rostrum because he is a fundraising leader due to loaning his campaign $100,000! (fec.gov/data/candidate/H6PA03179/#total-raised.)
There is little daylight between the would-be candidates and they all plan to do their best to ensure that our democracy withstands the assaults from President Trump.
I contend, however, that if our Democratic ward leaders want to ensure the health of our democracy, that they behave that way! That means making sure that all people seeking public office get a chance to be heard!
Most egregiously, of the five people excluded from the Center in the Park and Lutheran Seminary campus stages, two hail from Northwest Philadelphia. Dr. Karl Morris, a computer science associate professor at Temple University, lives in Cedarbrook, Mayor Parker’s neighborhood, and Cole Carter, a software engineer, is a Germantown native!
I’ve heard all sorts of arguments about logistics, viability, polling and levels of service. Isn’t that for the voters to decide?
Lila Bricklin
Germantown
