Civics 101 – April 15, 2025
If you think about it, Primary Election Day, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, is right around the corner. As I am writing this column, the date is April 12. I’ve been asking this question for at least four months now. If the election were tomorrow, do you know who you are voting for? Do you know what seats are up for grabs?
Real talk here. While I’ve been writing about the upcoming primary election off and on since the new year, beyond the candidates running for District Attorney and City Controller, right now, if you asked me to name one candidate running for judge, I’d be stumbling to get a name off my lips. Shame on me. I could refer back to a list that I have of who’s running, but without the list, not so much.
Despite whatever excitement, or lack thereof, with an election, each and every election is important, and those of us who are registered voters need to vote. Don’t skip the May 20 Primary, thinking it’s not important. People who are age 18 and older (or who will be 18 by May 20) are eligible to register to vote. To register to vote takes less than five minutes. You can do it online, or you can do it in person at one of the Philadelphia City Commissioner Election offices spread out over the city. Start by calling the Philadelphia City Commissioners Office at 215-686-3462.
The best advice I can offer in this civics column today is to take the time to attend some of the upcoming Candidates’ Forums that are being held in the community. Show up and listen to what these men and women have to say about why they want to be a judge, why they want to be the district attorney, or why they want to be the city controller.
Tuesday, April 22 – The NAACP Political Action Committee will host a Judicial Candidates’ Forum at 5901 Market Street at “Eddies Place,” starting at 6:00 pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Thursday, May 1, The Philadelphia Community Stakeholders (headed by Mr. Sam Staten, Jr.) are hosting a Judicial Candidates’ Forum, 6:00 pm-8:00 pm, at the Sam Staten, Jr. Training Center at 1333 N. Broad Street. This event is free and open to the public.
I won’t give you a bunch of names in this column of who’s running, but I will share that the following seats are up for grabs on the bench.
Let’s start at the statewide level. Come May 20, voters across Pennsylvania will vote for one nominee for Judge of the Superior Court and one nominee for Judge of the Commonwealth Court.
In Philadelphia, voters will also have to decide on nine seats for the Court of Common Pleas that are up for grabs and three seats that are open on Municipal Court.
There’s also a pretty heated District Attorney’s race that continues to unfold right now in Philadelphia, with two Democrats, one is the incumbent trying to make sure they’re the Democratic nominee for the November General Election. And the Philadelphia City Controller seat is up for grabs. The incumbent Democrat has no Democratic opponent in the primary. She does have a Republican opponent she will face, come November.
Finally, three questions will be on the ballot on May 20. Those questions are:
Question one: Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson to assist residents experienc- ing homelessness, help provide fair access to essential resources, and improve quality of life in the shelter sys- tem?
Question two: Should the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the minimum amount that must be appropriated for spending on Housing Trust Fund purposes in the City’s operating budget each year?
Question three: Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of an independent Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and to further authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers, and duties of the Board and Office?
Back to coming out to some of these upcoming Candidates’ Forums you may hear about. It’s so important. You don’t just want to go into your polling place and press buttons on names you know nothing about. So, I suggest that all of us (me included), as voters, let’s do some homework and check out who these candidates are. Show up at candidate forums between now and primary election day.
If your community group is planning to host a Candidates’ Forum or a Candidates’ Meet and Greet before Tuesday, May 20, please email that information to the SCOOP Newspaper so we can share it with our SCOOP Readers. Now more than ever, we must be engaged in the political process. We can’t give up on our civic duties and our rights as American citizens. Never give up your vote.
