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Critics are questioning the Working Families Party's independence as it gains traction in Philly [View all]
Philly Inquirer link: https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/kendra-brooks-nicolas-orourke-philly-city-council-20230920.html
Democrats have dominated Philadelphia politics for decades, but Republicans could always count on having at least some influence in City Hall. That’s no longer certain. The progressive Working Families Party has shaken up the status quo and is vying this year to win two City Council seats reserved for non-Democrats.
That reality, coupled with the Working Families Party’s close ties to Democrats, has some Republicans questioning if its presence on Council is what the framers of Philadelphia’s government intended.
“The purpose of the non-Democrat seats is to maintain diversity on City Council,” said Drew Murray, a Republican running for one of the at-large seats. “They are not an independent party.”
Republicans — and even a few Democrats — are pushing the issue of ideological diversity ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, when the GOP will battle the Working Families Party for the pair of seats on Council that represent the city at large. It demonstrates how seriously the GOP is taking the threat from progressives, who are explicitly trying to oust them from city government.
That reality, coupled with the Working Families Party’s close ties to Democrats, has some Republicans questioning if its presence on Council is what the framers of Philadelphia’s government intended.
“The purpose of the non-Democrat seats is to maintain diversity on City Council,” said Drew Murray, a Republican running for one of the at-large seats. “They are not an independent party.”
Republicans — and even a few Democrats — are pushing the issue of ideological diversity ahead of the Nov. 7 general election, when the GOP will battle the Working Families Party for the pair of seats on Council that represent the city at large. It demonstrates how seriously the GOP is taking the threat from progressives, who are explicitly trying to oust them from city government.
- more at link -
Progressives tend to be more vocal on issues that concern minorities and people of color, where the Democratic establishment sometimes falls silent. For this reason, it's a racial movement as well as a political one.
This particular story is about Philadelphia progressives, however we've seen a lot of similar activity in Pittsburgh in the last few years. As far as I know, there's no Working Families Party in Pittsburgh yet. It would be a mistake for Pittsburgh Democrats to ignore this trend.
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