OK, so Philadelphia has a big mayoral election coming up. Technically the election is in November, but right now no one has even announced they’re running on the Republican side. So the Democratic primary in May is probably for all the marbles.
Now, due in part to our last mayoral election involving an eavesdropping device discovered in the mayor’s office, the city instituted campaign finance reform that limited the contributions candidates could receive. This was a big deal in Philly, where officials routinely hit up unions, companies, and wealthy supporters for tens of thousands of dollars, if not more.
Then a millionaire named Tom Knox announced he was running for the nomination, and that he’d spend his own money as need be. He put $2 million into a getting-to-know-me campaign. And a recent Daily News poll shows that he’s rocketed up to second in the polls. Within days, a Philadelphia councilman was working on a bill to suspend the contribution limits if anyone put $2 million into his or her own campsign. (Wonder where he came up with that number.)
The councilman that introduced this bill already has close to enough cosponsors to get it passed. The councilman is also apparently a supporter of Bob Brady, the congressman and city party chair who recently entered the race. Brady apparently supports the measure, while several other mayoral candidates do not.
I would hesitate to point this out, but in Philadelphia politics it really tends to matter, since voting often breaks down along racial lines: Brady and Knox are the two white candidates in the mayoral primary.
It’s worth checking out Young Philly Politics, where the debate and discussion have flown fast and furious. Members of Council comment on the site.