The annual Republican City Committee clambake was postponed Sunday because of the effects of Hurricane Irene.
The outdoor festival has been rescheduled for Saturday, Sept. 10, from 4 to 8 p.m., at Cannstatter’s, at 9130 Academy Road.
The gathering usually attracts about 1,000 people. The guest list is expected to include candidates in this year’s election and Republicans eyeing runs against U.S. Sen. Bob Casey Jr. next year.
Admission costs $100 and includes beverages, food and entertainment by the Mummers, an Elvis Presley tribute artist and a disc jockey.
Everyone in attendance will have the chance to participate in a presidential straw poll sponsored by the Northeast Times.
The straw poll ballot will include the names of the 11 announced major candidates for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.
The candidates are Gov. Rick Perry of Texas; former Govs. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana, Jon Huntsman of Utah, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Gary Johnson of New Mexico; former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania; former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia; Reps. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Ron Paul of Texas and Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan; and businessman and political commentator Herman Cain of Georgia. There will also be space for a write-in vote.
Tickets for the clambake are available at the door or in advance by calling the Republican City Committee at 215–561–0650.
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The lineup for the Nov. 8 municipal election has been finalized, now that challenges to independent and third-party candidates have been decided.
Activist Wali Rahman, also known as Diop Olugbala, will join Mayor Michael Nutter and Republican Karen Brown on the ballot for mayor.
Rahman, an independent, is running on a platform of an elected school board, greater rights for street vendors, an end to the police department’s stop-and-frisk policy, opposition to what he calls the “gentrification” of North Philadelphia by Temple University, mandatory jobs for people released from prison, investment in black and Latino businesses and the release of Mumia Abu-Jamal, convicted of killing police officer Daniel Faulkner.
Cheri Honkala, a longtime homeless advocate, will run for sheriff as a Green Party candidate. She’ll face Democrat Jewell Williams and Republican Joshua West.
Richard Johnson has joined the race for an at-large City Council seat. In all, 11 candidates are vying for seven seats.
Incumbent Democrats Blondell Reynolds Brown, Bill Green, Bill Greenlee, Wilson Goode Jr. and Jim Kenney are virtual shoo-ins.
The final two seats will likely go to the Republicans. The candidates are David Oh, Dennis O’Brien, Joe McColgan, Al Taubenberger and Michael Untermeyer. ••
