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Cherelle Parker, a former city councilor and state legislator, won Philadelphia’s Democratic mayoral primary, beating a field of nine in a competitive race that, until Tuesday, had no clear frontrunner.
Parker would be the city’s first female mayor if she wins in November. During the run, she was portrayed as particularly tough on crime.
Since 7 out of 10 Philadelphia voters are Democrats, Parker, 50, is very likely to win the general election in November, which would make her the 100th oldest in Philadelphia. Parker won the support of much of the black political establishment in a city that is more than 40 percent black.
Parker argued during the campaign that his government experience would allow him to address challenges such as public safety and quality of life in the nation’s sixth-largest city.
He served for 10 years as a state representative in Northwest Philadelphia before his election to the City Council in 2015, a position he held until September.
Parker’s stance on crime has been compared to that of New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain who has shown a willingness to reverse the liberal wing of his party on police issues.
During the campaign, Parker appeared open to support the controversial police tactic known as “stop and frisk” — but he said it must be done constitutionally.
“We cannot afford to take away any legal tools from law enforcement so that they can ensure that our public health and safety is our number one priority,” he said in April, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I support what’s called a ‘Terry stop.’ That means law enforcement has to have just cause and reasonable suspicion.”
Parker too pushed more police officers to the beat and bicycle patrol officers, writing in an article for the Inquirer that the city needs more officers “around our city’s commercial corridors, schools, recreation centers and libraries, to keep Philadelphians safe.”
“My hope is that these neighborhood officers will grow and nurture relationships with the community, rebuilding trust,” he wrote.
More broadly, Parker said on the campaign trail that policy solutions should come from “the community,” not “from people who think they’re going to come save the poor.”
“They know it’s not Cherelle engaging in what I call ‘I know what’s best for your people’ in policymaking, but she’s come out of the grassroots,” Parker said Tuesday morning at a polling place .
Parker, who grew up in a northwest Philadelphia neighborhood, was raised by her mother, who died when she was 11 years old. He lived with his grandparents at the time. Her grandmother died when she was 16, leaving her to be cared for by her grandfather. She has spoken of being raised by her “village”, including neighbors.
Parker did not attend his own victory celebration Tuesday night.
“Unfortunately, Cherelle had a recent dental problem that required immediate medical attention tonight, and she is currently receiving care at the University of Pennsylvania,” her campaign said in a statement. “Cherelle looks forward to celebrating with all her friends and supporters and thanks all of Philadelphia for making history tonight!”
On the Republican side, David Oh, a former City Council member, ran unopposed and is the de facto candidate.
