Philadelphia is a Democratic stronghold in the state of Pennsylvania, with huge margins for Democrats in state elections. Other urban areas such as Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg, Allentown and Scranton also lean towards the Democratic Party. Before 1960, Philadelphia was largely led by Republican party chiefs, who were described in a similar way to how some describe the Democratic Party today. A 1947 article in Time magazine stated that “Republican mayors are a Philadelphia tradition, like leftovers and peppers”.Maria Jimenez, a longtime Republican who sits on the School Reform Commission, has found that Philadelphians equate a change in political affiliation with a change in religion.
She recalled hosting an Urban League event during the 2000 presidential election cycle and acting as a substitute for George W. Bush while someone else spoke on behalf of Al Gore. Afterwards, a woman approached Jiménez and said, “I agree with everything you say, but I can't vote for a Republican”.David Thornburgh of the Committee of Seventy believes that the city should seriously consider holding an open primary that would make it easier for Independents to challenge Democrats. He said that allowing independent competition in place of a heterosexual Republican could be a more “realistic” path.
Republicans understand that they cannot turn Philadelphia into a bipartisan city with serious political competition in a short period of time. Philadelphia has been a Democratic stronghold for many years and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon. However, with an open primary system and more independent candidates challenging Democrats, there is potential for more political competition in the city. The city of Philadelphia has been dominated by the Democratic Party for decades. This is due to its large population of urban voters who tend to lean towards the Democratic Party. However, before 1960, Philadelphia was largely led by Republican party chiefs.
This shows that there is potential for more political competition in the city if an open primary system is implemented and more independent candidates challenge Democrats. The idea of changing one's political affiliation being equated to changing one's religion is something that has been observed by Maria Jimenez, a longtime Republican who sits on the School Reform Commission. This shows how deeply entrenched the idea of party loyalty is among Philadelphians. David Thornburgh of the Committee of Seventy believes that an open primary system could be beneficial for Philadelphia as it would make it easier for Independents to challenge Democrats. This could lead to more political competition in the city and potentially break up the Democratic stronghold. In conclusion, Philadelphia is currently a Democratic stronghold in Pennsylvania and it is unlikely that this will change anytime soon. However, with an open primary system and more independent candidates challenging Democrats, there is potential for more political competition in the city.
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