Cast your ballots: Republican Tim Dailey (left) and Democrat Ed Neilson (right) will face each other in a special election on Tuesday, Aug. 11.
Philadelphians are used to voting in spring primaries and fall general elections, but residents of the 174th Legislative District will be casting ballots on what will probably be a warm summer day.
A special election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 11, to replace Democrat John Sabatina Jr., who was elected to the state Senate in a special election in May.
The candidates in the special election in the 174th are Democrat Ed Neilson and Republican Tim Dailey.
“This date is a struggle,” Neilson said, pointing out that many people might be on vacation.
Neilson and Dailey both appeared on the primary ballot.
Neilson, who had been an at-large city councilman, finished ninth among 16 Democrats. Only the top five were nominated.
Dailey faced Sabatina in the Senate race, finishing with 25 percent of the vote.
Neilson, who would have left Council at the end of the year, resigned his seat early to run for the House.
Dailey, who has taught at Father Judge High School for 20 years, is spending his summer vacation running in the 174th.
Neilson, a married father of five from Millbrook and an electrician by trade, formerly served in the House of Representatives, winning a special election in the 169th district in 2012. In redistricting, the 169th was moved to York County, and Neilson’s neighborhood was placed in the 174th.
In 2014, Councilman Bill Green resigned his at-large seat. Democratic Party boss Bob Brady, wanting to avoid a nasty primary between Neilson and Sabatina, selected Neilson as the candidate to run to replace Green.
“I loved being a member of the House,” Neilson said.
If he wins, Neilson contends he’ll be able to hit the ground running. He formerly worked in the administration of Gov. Ed Rendell, arguing that he knows the state budget process and Philadelphia’s needs from his days in Council.
Dailey, of Rhawnhurst, is a graduate of Maternity BVM, Archbishop Ryan and Holy Family University. He and his wife Helene have two daughters. Karen is a 2014 St. Hubert graduate and a pre-law major at Philadelphia University. Erin is a sophomore at St. Hubert.
Both candidates have knocked on thousands of doors.
“I’m trying to reach everybody,” said Dailey, describing those he’s met as a “very, very intelligent electorate.”
“I tell Democrats, Republicans and independents who I am. I think I’m getting a very good reception. The Father Judge connection is very good.”
Dailey described himself as pro-police and firefighter, adding that he does not want to vote to raise taxes, especially the sales tax. He’s running, he said, to help people.
Republicans hold a commanding 118–80 advantage in the House.
At present, John Taylor and Martina White are the only House Republicans whose districts are entirely within Philadelphia. Republican Tom Murt’s district includes a portion of Bustleton.
“Northeast Philadelphia needs a voice in the majority,” Dailey said. “I like Ed Neilson a lot, but I think I can get more things done in the majority.”
Both candidates would put a premium on constituent services and want more resources for the School District of Philadelphia.
Dailey, a member of the Association of Catholic Teachers Local 1776, supports funding for public education, in part, because he’s heard from teachers who are forced to buy their own supplies.
“Teachers need a voice in Harrisburg, and I can be that voice,” he said.
Neilson represented 30 percent of the district when he served the 169th. Though he lost the Council race, he did well in the divisions in the 174th.
“I came in №1 in Northeast Philly,” he said.
Neilson, whose campaign has included sponsoring family movie nights, is stressing bringing good jobs to the Northeast, like the ones at the AgustaWestland helicopter manufacturing plant. He hopes a good employer moves into the former Nabisco plant on the Boulevard.
The Democrat would also try to fill empty storefronts on Willits Road, Welsh Road, Bustleton Avenue and Castor Avenue.
If elected, he’d also focus on early childhood education and preserving property tax and rent rebates for senior citizens.
When he served in the House previously, he sponsored the Dyslexia and Early Literacy Intervention Pilot Program, which was signed into law.
“It’s going real well. Twenty-six school districts are using it. Hopefully, it will be mandatory that every child have access to it,” he said.
Neilson enjoys name-recognition and voter-registration advantages, but he’s running as if he’s behind.
“It’s not going to be a blowout. It’s going to be a close race. Every vote is going to count,” he said.
Sabatina’s two former House offices remain open. They are at 8100 Castor Ave. (215–342–6204) and 16 Old Ashton Road (215–330–3714).
On Aug. 11, there will also be special elections for the 191st and 195th districts.
Democrats Ron Waters (191st) and Michelle Brownlee (195th) resigned after pleading guilty to a charge of conflict of interest, after they were allegedly caught on tape accepting money in return for favors. Those two districts, based in West Philadelphia and North Philadelphia, are overwhelmingly Democratic. ••
