Why the primary matters more than the general election in Philly
With Democrats making up the majority registered voters in Philadelphia, most winners are chosen during the primaries. Now a new faction of the party is rising.
Listen 15:16
Members of Reclaim Philadelphia march through Center City prior to the Democratic National Convention in 2016 to demand that the DNC reveal its sources of funding. (Emma Lee/WHYY)
With an overwhelming majority of Philadelphia voters registered as Democrats, the Democratic primary has been the race that determines most of the winners of the city’s general election for decades. But it wasn’t always that way. On this episode of The Why, WHYY senior reporter Dave Davies explains how Democrats rose to power in the first place and why the results of tomorrow’s races could signal the rise of a new progressive faction within the party.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by The Why
The Why
There’s more to every story if you take the time to tell it.
Part of the series
Ahead of Philly primary, incumbent Jim Kenney reflects on the nature of being mayor
After nearly four years as Philadelphia’s mayor, Jim Kenney says he expects to be re-elected, but, if that doesn’t happen, he might become a teacher.
6 years ago
Listen 4:22
Under indictment, Philly’s ‘Johnny Doc’ still a player in politics
Campaign finance reports show IBEW Local Union 98 headed by indicted union leader John ‘Johnny Doc’ Dougherty gave more than $700,000 to city candidates this spring.
6 years ago
Childhood mentor helped mayoral candidate Butkovitz learn to express himself effectively
Mayoral candidate Alan Butkovitz sees the irony in the fact that everything he had trouble with in school, he ended up having to do as part of his work or part of his life.
6 years ago
Listen 3:49