State Rep. Kevin Boyle officially announced on Monday that he is challenging state Sen. John Sabatina Jr. in the 5th Senatorial District Democratic primary on April 26, 2016.
Boyle (D-172nd dist.) has been campaigning for months. He moved from Fox Chase, which is in the 2nd Senatorial District, to Bustleton, which is in the 5th district.
Sabatina, of Rhawnhurst, is a former state representative who won a Senate special election earlier this year to succeed fellow Democrat Mike Stack, who is now lieutenant governor.
The challenge is not a surprise. Boyle and his older brother, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, have had a running rivalry with Sabatina and his dad, who is the longtime Democratic leader of the 56th Ward.
“I am running for the Democratic nomination for state Senate in Northeast Philadelphia’s 5th Senatorial District. It has been an honor to serve the people of Northeast Philadelphia in the state House for the past five years. During my three terms in office, I’ve fought battles to protect workers rights, expand economic opportunities for all citizens, not just the 1 percent, in addition to fighting for the quality of life for Northeast neighborhoods. I’ve also been extremely proud to have stood up to many of Philadelphia’s entrenched political machines,” Boyle said.
“My career experience from being an advocate for children in foster care to being a state representative shows a track record of fighting for regular people, not the rich or political elites. I don’t come from a background of wealth or privilege. My father is a janitor in a SEPTA subway station and my mother was a school crossing guard. I’m very proud my brother Brendan and I, after growing frustrated with machine politics, challenged entrenched incumbents in office and won seats in the state House. I believe now is the time to seek higher office in the state Senate so to better lobby for the causes I’ve committed my life to and to fight for the working families of Northeast Philadelphia.”
Kevin Boyle was elected in 2010, ousting longtime Republican Rep. John Perzel.
Asked if Boyle will also run next year for his House seat, a campaign spokeswoman emailed, “Kevin hasn’t decided yet. He is waiting to hear the opinions of his constituents.”
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Joe DeFelice, executive director of the Philadelphia Republican Party, is criticizing the spokeswoman for Mayor-elect Jim Kenney for saying, “The money was there,” defending more than $274,000 in payments to staff members of Kenney and Ed Neilson, after the two of them resigned from Council.
Kenney resigned in January to run for mayor, Neilson left in July to run for state representative. Yet, seven of their former staffers remain on the city payroll, according to an article in the Inquirer.
On the Council website section featuring the at-large members, there is no mention of the phone number, fax number or room number where the staffers work.
“Just because the money was earmarked for a job, if that job no longer exists, then the need to fund it no longer exists,” DeFelice said.
“Here we are constantly looking for new revenue streams in the city to fund our schools, bail out an underfunded pension or pay for any of the new social programs coming out of City Hall, but rather than cut a few jobs that are no longer needed, Kenney will look to the backs of the taxpayers to cover the burden, whether it is through a sales tax increase, a cigarette tax, our wage tax, our property tax or many of the dozen taxes and fees that normal citizens and small business must fork over to stay afloat in the city.”
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Meanwhile, Kenney released the following statement applauding Gov. Tom Wolf’s decision to welcome Syrian refugees to Pennsylvania.
“Philadelphia has a long history of being a city of refuge for those in need — welcoming Quakers, Irish immigrants, Sudanese refugees and many others. I applaud Gov. Wolf’s decision to work with the federal government to properly screen and resettle Syrian refugees in Pennsylvania. In keeping with our city’s history, I look forward to working with him and welcoming refugees seeking a safe home to Philadelphia.”
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City Councilwoman-elect Helen Gym applauded the hiring of Otis Hackney as the city’s chief education officer.
“I commend Mayor-elect Kenney for appointing a seasoned educator like Otis Hackney into a policy field which too often lacks such experience. Like Gov. Wolf before him (who appointed Marge Neff as chair of the School Reform Commission), Mayor-elect Kenney is showing that the voices of longtime educators will help lead the turnaround of schools in our city.”
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DeFelice, the local GOP leader, said state Sen. Anthony Williams is a hypocrite for calling for the resignation of Republican Supreme Court Justice Mike Eakin.
DeFelice said Williams has not made similar demands of fellow Democrats Kathleen Kane, Chaka Fattah, LeAnna Washington, Michelle Brownlee, Vanessa Brown, Ron Waters, J.P. Miranda, Louise Bishop and Harold James, all of whom have been indicted or convicted.
“Perhaps Williams should take a look at his own house and within his own caucus before trying to grab headlines,” DeFelice said. ••
