Philadelphia’s GOP mayoral candidate holds office hours in shadow of City Hall

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter does have opposition in this fall’s election. One challenger is holding listening sessions in the shadow of City Hall. 

Republican Karen Brown said she’s not a cookie cutter candidate for her party. She switched to the GOP just in time to run in the May primary.

“You know what the Republican Party thinks I’m not the candidate for them,” said Brown. “I’m fiscally conservative but I’m socially liberal.”

Standing under the Frank Rizzo statue outside the Municipal Services Building, holding a small bullhorn, Brown gives her opinion on issues every Tuesday. This week she talk about flash mobs and how incumbent Mayor Nutter is handling the situation.

“We need to find out why they are so angry and why they feel this is the thing to do,” said Brown.  “He’s not going into the communities and doing that. He’s our mayor, he’s supposed to be.”

Brown volunteered for Nutter’s first mayoral campaign. But now she said he should spend more on education.

“We need to open up more schools that will actually attract the kids to stay there,” she said.  “Charter schools are one way, but we also need to go back to the old school where we had business schools and trade schools.”

Brown has not outlined how to afford more education spending.

About a dozen people showed up to listen to her this week. Brown said she will continue to be available to voters.