Socialist candidates turn in signatures for Philadelphia mayor, City Council

Walmart shelf-stocker Osborne Hart is the Socialist Workers Party candidate for Philadelphia mayor.  To make sure he gets on and stays on the ballot, Hart has filed nearly twice as many signatures as required. 

Hart says he want to be a voice of Philadelphia’s working poor. “There’s a very deep economic crisis that is affecting people in the U.S. and around the world ravishing our standard of living and social conditions,” he said.

Hart says he expects to be included in any debates between Democratic nominee Jim Kenney and Republican nominee Melissa Murray Bailey.

“We run to win, that’s why we are here today to be on the ballot,” Hart said. “We’ll campaign very vigorously with working people around police brutality the demand for the minimum wage and unionization.”

The Socialist candidate for City Council at large is John Staggs.  He joins other “third party” candidates for council such as Kristin Combs of the Green Party.