If you’re running to represent a congressional district in the state that has the most Democratic supporters, you’ll likely intend to keep your campaign platform within a narrow range of policy positions.
That’s according to local political consultants watching the crowded race to succeed Rep. Dwight Evans, who is stepping down from the 3rd District seat he has held for nearly a decade.
But while the candidates for the job do agree on many issues, at Tuesday night’s forum in Germantown, the five candidates made it clear that if elected, they would bring very different life experiences and diverse priorities to Washington.
The two state legislators running for the position, Sen. Sharif Street and Rep. Morgan Cephas, cited their accomplishments as legislators and their ability to get things done effectively. Meanwhile, state Rep. Chris Rabb has attacked billionaires and corporations he believes are pushing policies that harm lower-income people.
Dr. Ala Stanford mentioned her work bringing COVID-19 testing and vaccinations to Black neighborhoods and her work as a federal health official, while Dr. Dave Oxman described his observations from 20 years of working in intensive care and criticized the high costs of health care.
A rousing standing-room-only crowd packed the Germantown Avenue senior center where the two-hour forum took place, often applauding and cheering as candidates responded to questions from the moderator, state Rep. Andre Carroll. The event was sponsored by organizations from the 12th and 59th districts.
“We have to be really selective in this process,” said Ted Stones, the 12th District Democratic leader. “We need a fighter in Congress. We need someone who knows government, knows how it works, and we need someone who can work in government. We need someone who is smart in business. We need someone who is a statesman.”
The May 19 Democratic primary will likely determine who wins the November election because no Republicans are running.
The other five declared candidates were not on stage. They are Empowered CDC CEO Isaiah Martin, former Biden administration official Pablo McConnie-Saad, Temple University computer science professor Karl Morris, former city employee Robin Toldens and software engineer Cole Carter.
Organizers invited only candidates “with a proven record of public service and existing accessibility to allow for timely outreach and confirmation,” said Patrick Jones, Democratic leader of the 59th District. Local Chestnut Hill.
Affordable housing and repair assistance
The questions covered topics such as the discontinuation of SNAP food benefits during last year’s government shutdown, affordable housing and displacement, the president’s unconstitutional actions, health policy, federal education funding for low-income communities and policy toward Israel.
Street, the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street and a former fundraising leader, noted that before he entered the Legislature, he was an affordable housing lawyer. He announced that he supports Senator Elizabeth Warren’s bill to limit home ownership by private equity investors, which she believes increases housing costs, and called for expansion federal low-income housing tax creditsespecially for community development organizations.
“It’s not just about the scope of tax breaks, but about their number, because there are too few apartments built this way,” Street said. “We can’t just do this with for-profit developers, although they will play a role. We need to get the community involved and build housing that people want to live in, and we need to make sure there is money to do it.”
Stanford, a political novice whom Evans recruited to run, recalls growing up in Section 8 and public housing, then having to move suddenly when her mother couldn’t pay the rent. She discussed the importance of informing low-income homeowners about tax credits and home maintenance assistance programs and highlighted the connections between housing, financial stability, health and racial justice.
“I know what it means to have a home where you can lay your head, where you can stay warm, and I will support that because wealth is tied to home ownership, and we need more of it so that people can continue to have generational wealth in their families,” she said.
Prevention of movement
Rabb, a staunch progressive who has served in the House since 2017, responded to a question about housing and displacement by criticizing “billionaires supporting Democrats” and citing the battle that took place in 2023 and 2024 over a proposed basketball arena in Center City. Critics argued that the facility would gentrify nearby Chinatown and result in price losses for many residents.
“Will we be part of those people who have the political will, vision and concern to do what is right?” he asked. “I don’t take money from corporate PACs and never have. Follow the money. When we talk about displacement, we’re talking about an agenda driven by greed, and that greed is tied to who they choose to invest in when people run for office. That matters.”
Cephas, who represented parts of West Philadelphia in the Legislature for nine years, spoke about the dire shortage of affordable housing in a city where 47% of homes are rented. She also emphasized the need assist older home owners repair their roofs – as she had to do when she bought her 100-year-old house – and make other repairs that will assist them avoid having to sell and move.
“We need to make sure that the things we have accomplished in Harrisburg — like the whole house repair program — become nationwide so that people can afford roof repairs without going into significant debt,” she said.
A bill that would create federal version of the home repair program was proposed by a group of US senators, including Senator John Fetterman.
Oxman, a South Philly resident and Jefferson Health physician, said property development must be done in a way that takes residents’ financial concerns into account. Wages remain stagnant, many Philadelphians cannot afford the average rent of $1,900 per month, and more than half of residents are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on rent, he added.
“This needs to change, and it’s especially difficult in low-income neighborhoods. While development can be a boon for neighborhoods, it must be done with respect for the people who already live here, as well as with an awareness of their needs,” he said.
Everyone hates Trump
One of the sharpest words of the evening was an answer to a question about how Congress should “stand firm” in response to President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional actions, as well as another question about Israel.
Stanford said Trump could only be removed from office by impeachment or “incapacity” and noted his health problems: vascular insufficiency causing leg swelling, “elements of forgetfulness” and possible heart problems. “He’s about to turn 80, so it could happen,” she said.
Cephas called the president a “major distraction” who has “already gone off track,” “no longer unconstitutional” and should be impeached. Rabb said that “constitutionality apparently doesn’t matter to people in power” and called for term limits and expansion of the Supreme Court. As for Trump, “we need McDonald’s to take its course,” he said, referring to the president’s eating habits.
Oxman said the Trump administration is an “everyday dumpster fire” in South Philadelphia parlance and said its recent incursion in Venezuela has “all the classic Trump characteristics” of being immoral, illegal and incomprehensible.
Street said Trump was “out of control, but there are things we can do.” He cited lawsuits in which he was involved in protecting early voting drop boxes and ballot drop boxes from attacks by the Trump administration ahead of the 2020 election.
In response to a question about how they would react to a visit to the offices of the US Israel Public Affairs Committee, all five candidates condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and the death toll there.
Oxman, the only Jewish candidate on stage, called Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu the worst Jewish leader in thousands of years and chided AIPAC for equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. Sharif, the only Muslim candidate, said Israel had the right to exist and the Palestinians should have a state, and argued that Netanyahu should be prosecuted for committing war crimes.
Stanford stated that she believes in a two-state solution and that the United States should not support wars “that harm and kill children and families.” Cefas did not discuss Israel, but said she sometimes meets with groups she disagrees with, such as the National Rifle Association and the Fraternal Order of Police. “I don’t believe in closing the door on any organization,” she said.
Rabb’s response was perhaps the most direct. “F… AIPAC,” he said, prompting a storm of applause from the audience. “This is a racist organization and I will not meet with them.”
He criticized the group for “destroying candidates’ lives” after candidates called the Gaza war a genocide, and said he stood with the rabbis and his Jewish voters who have criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians and want peace.
