philadelphia mayor

The key to Cherelle Parker’s success? Rejecting the Democrats’ progressive wing.

Originally published at The Philadelphia Inquirer

Black voters, especially those living in low-income neighborhoods, propelled Cherelle Parker to victory in the Democratic primary for mayor of Philadelphia. According to an Inquirer analysis, majority-Black precincts gave nearly 56% of their vote to Parker.

It can be easy to dismiss Parker’s win as politics as usual in Philly. She is, after all, “the consummate insider” of the Democratic establishment in the city.

Sure, Parker’s been around a long time. But neither of Philly’s popular former mayors, Michael Nutter and John F. Street, endorsed her. Instead, they threw their weight behind Rebecca Rhynhart — who leaned toward the progressive wing of her party — albeit less so than Helen Gym, who had proclaimed socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her side.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer