PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker threw her support behind state Sen. Sharif Street on Wednesday, in the competitive Democratic primary to replace Rep. Dwight Evans in Congress.
In endorsing Street for the U.S. House of Representatives, Parker said having him there would mean a lot of support for her own plan for the city.
“I can’t do it alone. I need a reliable partner in Washington D.C. who understands the assignment on day one,” she said outside of City Hall, “who knows that they have to use their seat at the table to leverage scarce resources to bring home.”
She went on to praise Street’s work at the state level to do just that, whether it be defending voting rights, funding for schools, parks and more.
“You have already delivered on your work,” she said. “Through your work, you shall be known.”
Parker was one of the many Philly elected officials to throw their support behind Street in the competitive 3rd Congressional District primary. The mayor is from the city’s powerful 50th Ward, but was also joined by City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson from the 52nd, former candidate and state Rep. Morgan Cephas, state Sen. Vincent Hughes and leaders from the 4th Ward in West Philly, among others.
They form a formidable city coalition behind Street, the son of former Philly Mayor John Street. He drove home that local connection.
“I understand my community. If you stop me on the street, I can tell you about the public policy because I’ve lived it,” he said. “I’ve lived it each and every day.”
He also stressed the importance of those Philly endorsements as opposed to his competitors in the Democratic primary.
“We’re running to represent a district in Philadelphia and we are not gonna be a colony that the DSA out of New York is telling us what to do,” he said, “and we’re not gonna let some people we don’t know where the money comes from, but it ain’t coming from Philadelphia, just because they bought some TV ads, tell us what to do.”
Street faces state Rep. Chris Rabb, Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium founder Dr. Ala Stanford and tax attorney Shaun Griffith in the primary. Philadelphians will hit the polls on Tuesday, May 19.
The state senator is running for the House seat held by retiring Rep. Dwight Evans
The state senator is running for the House seat held by retiring Rep. Dwight Evans
