PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — City Council President Darrell Clarke says he will not seek re-election for a seventh term representing his North Philadelphia district. It leaves a contested seat, and an opening for new leadership, in Council.
“I’m very, very sad. I’m not going to BS anybody,” Clarke said on Thursday, adding it was the most difficult decision he’s ever had to make.
Clarke has been a leading force in growing City Council's power during his 11 years as president. And his tenure has been marked by an unusual degree of harmony among Council members — at least publicly.
Council Majority Leader Curtis Jones credits Clarke’s focus on consensus.
“He has a skill set, a management style, that the arguments happen inside, so that we have more unity by the time we come out into those chambers,” Jones said.
Clarke has also introduced, and gotten passed, a number of city charter changes that create new offices, establish budgetary guidelines and give Council the power to veto mayoral appointments.
He says the stronger council he has helped create has been good for the city overall.
In a statement, Councilmember-at-large Katherine Gilmore Richardson agreed saying City Council, as an institution, is better because of him.
“Maya Angelou once said, ‘A hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.’ That’s exactly what Darrell L. Clarke has been,” she said, citing his leadership through state budget cuts in 2012 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mayor Jim Kenney, who once served with Clarke as a Council member, thanked him for his service and friendship.
“Darrell has served our city unwaveringly for four decades, championing historic progress and also providing vital leadership amid unprecedented challenges,” he wrote in a public statement.
“It’s been an honor to work alongside him on our shared goals — including education, housing, and jobs — and I congratulate him on a distinguished career in public service.”
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Clarke said he supports his former chief of staff, Curtis Wilkerson, to run for his Fifth District seat. Four others — Patrick Griffin, Jon Hankins, Jefferey Young and Aissia Richardson — are also running for the seat.
Clarke did not, however, endorse anyone to succeed him as council president. There will be no shortage of candidates, as Cindy Bass, deputy majority whip, noted.
“There’s a lot of qualified candidates. There’s a lot of experience in City Council that could take the helm,” she said.
Clarke’s departure is just one factor that will make the next City Council markedly different from this past term. Six of his colleagues have resigned to run for mayor.
One of those six, Allan Domb, said Clarke will be remembered for his impact on the people of Philadelphia, praising him for his record, citing tax cuts for lower-income families, assistance to the city’s hospitality industry through the pandemic, and recouping millions of dollars in unpaid taxes.
“I was honored to serve alongside Council President Clarke for nearly 7 years, and I learned a great deal from him,” Domb said in a public statement.
Clarke did not give a specific reason for his decision to leave at the end of this term — just that it was time to do something different.
“There is no one thing. I have been thinking about this for a while. I think at this time it is the right decision for me to make.”
He did confirm that his age was not a factor. He would be 75 years old at the end of another term.
“I’ll challenge anybody. I was out throwing a football this weekend. Still got 40 yards,” he said.