PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Incumbent Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal is being challenged for re-election. Three candidates filed petitions Tuesday to oppose her on the May Democratic primary ballot.
Lawyer and real estate developer Michael Untermeyer announced his candidacy Tuesday outside of Bilal’s Broad Street office. He is pledging to run for only one term as sheriff. He said he wants to clean up an office that’s been plagued by corruption.
“For decades, this office has had nothing by scandal, scandal, scandal,” he said.
Bilal also ran as a reformer, defeating Jewell Williams four years ago after he was accused of sexual harassment. Williams’ predecessor, John Green, went to jail for taking bribes.
Untermeyer said Bilal has continued the trend, citing a $7,000 Christmas party paid for with public money, and the arrest of a deputy for selling a gun used in the fatal shooting of 14-year-old Nicolas Elizade after a Roxborough High School football scrimmage. But Untermeyer said Bilal’s greatest flaw was failing to execute 33,000 fugitive warrants.
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“Sheriff Bilal has made the city less safe by her actions and inactions,” Untermeyer asserted. “I want to bring sunshine into this office, really clean every nook and cranny. No more fraud, waste and misspending of the citizens’ dollars.”
Untermeyer is self-funding his campaign and has already contributed $250,000.
Another challenger is Jackie Miles, the long-time director of security for the Washington Wizards. Miles served as a Philadelphia deputy sheriff in the 1990s.
Also running is Jaque Whaumbush, a former chief deputy sheriff who resigned in 2007 to run for sheriff but lost in the primary. He also ran unsuccessfully for register of wills four years ago.
Bilal has the Democratic Party’s endorsement for re-election.