Philly GOP retains mayoral endorsement for Daphne Goggins after all

Philadelphia’s Republican Party is sticking with its endorsement of North Philadelphia ward leader Daphne Goggins as its candidate for mayor after nearly holding a “do-over” vote Monday night.

Goggins, the first African-American woman to receive the party’s nod, came under scrutiny in recent days after it came out that she was receiving federal disability benefits.

One of her opponents questioned whether that disqualified her from the race, and the GOP chairman called ward leaders back to party headquarters to decide whether to rescind the nomination.

Yet members voted 29 to 18 with four abstentions against reconsidering their endorsement of Goggins for the city’s top job.

“Families fight, but you know what? At the end of the day, we family,” Goggins exclaimed after the vote. “It’s time for us to go out here, take it to these Democrats.”

GOP chairman Michael Meehan said the party was creating a committee to more thoroughly vet potential candidates in the future.

But he stressed that, given Monday night’s vote to maintain its endorsement of Goggins, Philadelphia Republicans would back her in the primary election.

“Whether or not the public does, I don’t know,” Meehan said. “But we will.”