5 Of 7 City Council Seats Expected To Go To Democrats, Other 2 Up For Grabs
By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphians will pick their city government, today. Who occupies the mayor's office and all 17 city council seats will be decided in today's election. Because of their registration edge, Democrats are expected to win most of the races there's a bit of a contest for city council-at-large.
There are seven at-large seats and five candidates from each party so, traditionally, two seats go to Republicans. but this year, Independent candidate Andrew Stober has mounted a strong challenge to that arrangement, threatening to claim one of those seats.
Stober doesn't see a problem with that.
"City council is not really a partisan place," says Stober. "Being a great city council person is not about being a democrat or a republican."
But Stober is not the only threat to the two republican incumbents, Dennis O'Brien and David Oh.
Challengers in their own party -- Al Taubenberger and Daniel Tinney -- are running hard against them.
Incumbent Dennis O'Brien says he gets that and isn't worried.
"A lot of Democrats have enthusiastically offered me their support on election day," says O'Brien. "I'm pathologically optimistic as I always am."
Ironically, as strategist Larry Ceisler notes, the winner will be decided not by how many Independent or Republican votes they get.
"It's Democrats who will pick who those two minority members are"
There are guaranteed to be four new faces in council, since four of the democrats running are new to the body, but -- optimism notwithstanding -- the outcome of this race will determine if there are even more.