PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Democratic National Committee is meeting in Austin, Texas, and two members from the Philadelphia area are making history for the committee this year with their appearance.
Philadelphia City Councilman Jim Harrity and Prospect Park Borough Councilman Emmet Harrity will be the first brothers to serve together on the committee.
“We actually thought the Kennedy’s — Robert and John — were there, but they never actually became members,” Jim said. “They were only delegates because that’s all they needed to win the presidency, so they didn’t bother with all the rest.”
The Harrity’s are bothering by being in attendance this year. Jim Harrity was elected to the DNC by the Pennsylvania Democratic Committee, and Emmett was appointed by DNC chair Ken Martin.
The brothers said they’re looking forward to socializing in Austin. They’ve both been open about their journeys to sobriety, but Jim said that doesn’t mean they can’t schmooze.
“We’ll have fun. It’s a lot of networking,” he said. “Mostly it’s trying to figure out how we can team up with other states to get new ideas.”
The gathering is expected to be busy, with some major items on the DNC’s agenda, including protecting voting rights, winning the November midterms and voting on the 2028 primary election calendar — with South Carolina expected to go first once again. The meeting also takes place as the party adjusts to a progressive groundswell that is putting more non-traditional candidates on the ballot.
Jim and Emmett Harrity are the first brothers to serve together as the committee gathers in Austin, Texas.
Jim and Emmett Harrity are the first brothers to serve together as the committee gathers in Austin, Texas.
