Now that 2015 is in full swing, so too is campaign season — and it’s shaping up to be a busy one.
Among the most notable races this May 19 will of course be the Democratic primary for Philadelphia’s next mayor. We now have four declared mayoral candidates, and another set to declare this weekend.
To clarify, neither PGN nor our publisher has endorsed any candidate for mayor. While a local blog suggested otherwise this week, it’s entirely too early for our publisher or our editorial board to make any endorsements.
Our endorsements are based on a careful and thorough process, anchored around election interviews with our candidates, where we ask all candidates in a particular race the same set of questions on LGBT policies and positions. (We are this week running a news story based on an interview with candidate Jim Kenney, who requested a sit-down with PGN to announce his mayoral candidacy; he will be asked the same positions questions as his fellow candidates when we begin those interviews in the coming weeks.) From there, our editorial board then reviews the candidates’ positions and, fusing research into each individual’s record on LGBT issues and positions on other social-justice topics, decides who we feel would be the best person to move the LGBT community forward. We’ll be making our official mayoral endorsement in early May.
We employ the same endorsement process for candidates in other races, which this year will include City Council candidates. We will publish write-ups based on the candidates’ interviews in early May, along with our endorsements.
In the interim, we will be running profiles on LGBT candidates in local races. There are two out candidates for City Council, as well as two out judicial candidates, and we’ll be highlighting their stories, and those of any other out candidates who declare, in the coming weeks.
While this election may not be as high-profile as next year’s presidential race, it will certainly have big implications for all Philadelphia residents, LGBTs and allies included. Here we have the chance to decide who will lead our city at least the next four years, as well as who will be making our laws. We have an opportunity to make history by electing our first openly LGBT City Councilperson. While Philadelphia has made impressive strides for LGBT equality, especially in the last few years, there are still policies and programs that can be enacted to further LGBT progress. To make that a reality, we need to make sure we have the best leaders in place — an aim that can be furthered by getting out the vote for LGBT-friendly candidates, and getting out to the polls May 19.