Progressive Rabb wins 3rd District race with boosts from ‘the squad’ and local grassroots activism

What questions do you have about the 2026 elections? What major issues do you want candidates to address? Let us know.

State Rep. Chris Rabb will more than likely replace U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in January. The self-styled progressive benefitted from political endorsements from the left and a grassroots ground game by local progressive groups such as the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party.

Rabb appeared emotional as he took the stage at the Victorian Banquet Hall in the city’s Germantown neighborhood.

“I have been critiqued along this campaign for being too radical, being too bold. They ain’t seen nothing yet.” he said. “This is just the beginning because I see you. I see you. I know what we’re capable of. I see your beauty. I see your power.”

Rabb garnered about 45% of the vote. His closest rival, early favorite state Sen. Sharif Street, fell far behind with less than 30%.

Street conceded to Rabb around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, saying his campaign could not match Rabb’s strong support from progressive voters.

“This is a wake-up call for some of us,” he told supporters gathered at his watch party, held at a union hall in North Philadelphia.

“Let’s just be honest, there was the movement that gave birth to the victory today, called themselves ‘Reclaim,’ and they wanted to reclaim their party. Perhaps we need to reclaim our communities and get a little bit more engaged and a little bit more involved,” he said.

Street also acknowledged third-place candidate Ala Stanford, who benefited from millions in PAC funding and early television commercials.

“We didn’t have the millions of dollars of TV ads that the others had,” he said. “We did have people power, we did inspire lots of folks, we did it in a grassroots way.”

Stanford thanked her supporters at a watch party at the North Philadelphia Welcome Center,  saying she would “continue to be hopeful for the people in Philadelphia.”

“For the young folks, and especially for the women that believed so much in what we were doing, do not be discouraged,” she said.

“You might shed a tear tonight, but tomorrow, joy will come because we all have a purpose and we all have a passion and we all have a promise for the next generation.”

Rabb’s resume

A Philadelphia native, Rabb previously worked as an aide to Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and served on the White House Conference on Small Business during the Clinton administration. He later became a researcher and educator focusing on social entrepreneurship and wrote the book “Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity.”

He ran for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2016 and won, representing  Northwest Philadelphia for the last 10 years. There, he built a reputation as an outspoken advocate for racial justice, economic equity, public education and government reform, though some other Democrats have criticized him for being combative.

Many voters in the district said that Rabb was the kind of fighter they want to meet the current political era.

“The Democratic Party has not been strong enough in fighting against Trump’s authoritarian and really unjust policies and practices,” said Rachel Mattson just after she voted for Rabb in Garden Court, West Philly. “I’m really disappointed in the Democratic Party and I really think we need strong courageous democratic leadership in Washington.”

Rabb accrued endorsements from a who’s who list of progressive figures, locally and nationally. That includes U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., who joined him for a campaign rally Friday, and other members of “the squad” including U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Jamie Raskin, D-Md.

He also received endorsements from a slate of progressive groups and local unions. Progressives in West Philly canvassed the district and helped bring in small dollar donations that helped Rabb lead in his campaign’s fundraising efforts.

Similarities and differences

Rabb and his opponents sounded many of the same themes on the campaign trail, often falling on the same side of the issues. They all wanted to expand health care, abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and bring down prices. They also all presented themselves as the candidate best to take on President Donald Trump.

However, they diverged on how to respond to the war in Gaza, which became a source of contention during the race. Rabb was the most outspoken about using the term “genocide” and the only one calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

West Philly resident Maya Wharton said that helped her make up her mind about who to vote for. She said she was disappointed by Rabb’s opponent, Dr. Ala Stanford, who likened saying “genocide” to “using the N-word.”

“As a Black woman, I need somebody who’s going to fight for Black women and acknowledge the pain of other people as well,” Wharton said. “We are a marginalized group, so we should be actually helping other marginalized groups.”

Progressive victory vs. the establishment

Still, Rabb’s win can be seen as an upset victory for progressives and a slap back against the party establishment. Street was the first to enter the race and boasted the greatest name recognition and institutional support. Stanford was hand selected by Evans to succeed him.

Street built much of his campaign on what he saw as direct services to the local community and his efforts to expand and protect subsidized health care in the commonwealth. That history, he hoped, would benefit him in a race era where concerns over the cost of rent and the price at the pump seemed to dominate the debate.

However, he wasn’t able to overcome a progressive wave of grassroots organizing that propelled Rabb over the finish line.

“They told me this wasn’t possible,” Rabb said during his speech. “That’s what they said. I don’t know who they are, but I know who we are.”

Mattson said that the war in the Middle East and the lack of resources at home were connected.

“That is a pocketbook issue because we’re spending so much money on funding the Pentagon and funding ICE and funding Israel’s war machine and we don’t have money,” she said. “The cost of living is huge. People are really suffering in the United States right now.”

WHYY News reporter Cory Sharber and BillyPenn.com’s Meir Rinde contributed to this article.