Nutter endorsing candidates, including independent Stober, for at-large Council seats

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has endorsed some candidates in the race for City Council’s at-large seats.  Not all are Democrats.

Nutter is supporting three Democrats, Derek Green, incumbents Blondell Reynolds Brown and Bill Greenlee, as well as independent Andrew Stober. 

“This is one of these situations where a person’s track record is clearly much more important than what their registration card says,” Nutter said Tuesday. “Andrew Stober represents all of the best in democratic principles.  It’s always left to the person who is running to decide which race they run in and how they run or what circumstance you run in a primary.  That’s his personal decision.”

The mayor is asking voters to go beyond party affiliation in November. 

“I’ve come to rely on the voters to figure out who should be in office,” he said. “And if you judge people — their history, their track record, their background and experience — the voters will figure out who they need to vote for.”

Nutter believes it’s the first time he’s backed an independent candidate.  The mayor did not mention why he didn’t endorse party-nominated Helen Gym and Allen Domb. If elected, they would be first-time Council members. 

Two vacancies opened up when Jim Kenney decided to run for mayor and Bill Green went to the School Reform Commission.