PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — State Sen. Sharif Street is stepping down as Chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
Street made the announcement Monday on social media, saying “it was not an easy decision, but it is the right one.” He will step down after the election of his successor on Sept. 6.
In July, Street declared his candidacy for Congress, seeking the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who is retiring.
"We've made progress that will last far beyond my tenure. And while I may be stepping down as Chair, I'm not stepping away from this work. I'm running for Congress to keep fighting for the people of Pennsylvania — and I'll keep fighting with you, every step of the way,” he said.
Street was born into politics as the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street. He was student body president at Central High School and student senate president at Morehouse College. He was first elected to the state Senate in 2016, filling the seat held by retired state Sen. Shirley Kitchen. He was the first Black man and Muslim elected Chair of Pennsylvania’s Democratic Party.
"We built real power by forging a coalition that could win. And going forward, I remain committed to strengthening those voices — alongside labor, young people and all those fighting to build a more just, inclusive and energized Democratic Party,” Street said.
“I’m proud of what we’ve built — and I’m not done fighting. I’m running for Congress to keep up the work.”
Just two people have held the congressional seat for the last 30 years — Evans and his predecessor, Chaka Fattah.