Campaign underway: Matt Darragh is looking forward to his race against Martina White.
After Matt Darragh won the Democratic primary in the 170th Legislative District on April 26, he took a break from knocking on doors.
Not because he was tired of meeting voters, but because he thought people wanted a lull before the general election campaign got underway in full force.
Still, Darragh and campaign manager Dan Kalai have been strategizing. The candidate has identified a campaign office on Bustleton Avenue in Somerton and has been to Harrisburg a couple of times, once to meet the House Democratic leadership and caucus and again this week to speak to the House Democratic Campaign Committee.
Darragh’s opponent is Republican Rep. Martina White, who represents a district that has a Democratic voter-registration advantage of about 2-to-1.
If Darragh wins, he’ll likely be serving in the minority, as Republicans command a 118–84 advantage.
“It’s a strong Democratic district, and everybody is excited about the race up there,” Darragh said. “They’re in a big deficit. They want to start chipping away, especially in a presidential year.”
Still, many of the voters are used to voting for Republican George Kenney, who served from 1985 to 2008. After Democratic Rep. Brendan Boyle resigned to become a congressman, White handily won a special election in March 2015.
Darragh likes his chances, but isn’t measuring drapes for his new office.
“Northeast Philadelphia is more conservative than the rest of the city. Even though Democrats have a registration advantage, a lot of people in the neighborhood are comfortable ticket splitting,” he said.
Darragh, who turned 31 last month, believes he has the profile to win enough of the Democratic vote to capture the seat.
Unlike White, who attended elementary school and high school outside the district, he’s a graduate of St. Anselm and Archbishop Ryan. His father was a union carpenter.
While White has substantial union support, especially for a Republican, Darragh enjoys the backing of AFSCME District Council 47 and the carpenters and sheet metal workers unions.
“I come from a union household,” he said.
Darragh graduated from Temple University in 2007 and Widener University School of Law in 2013, though he does not practice law. He expects to take the bar exam again.
In college, he was an intern for then-state Sen. Mike Stack. He’s been a 66th Ward committeeman for 10 years under Mike McAleer, and has worked on numerous campaigns, including Sarah DelRicci’s loss last year to White.
Unlike in DelRicci’s loss, Democrats appear united.
Darragh is a member of the Parkwood Civic Association and is on the Stephen Decatur Elementary School Advisory Committee.
Professionally, he’s a liquor store examiner for the auditor general’s office. His boss is Shawn Dillon, Democratic ward leader of 66-A.
Darragh is also a property tax-paying homeowner, living on Rambler Road in Parkwood. His late parents, Jim and Eileen, bought the same house in 1965 after moving from Port Richmond.
In the primary, he spent $62,000 to defeat Boyle protege Fran Nelms, 4,014 to 3,182. He lost the 58th Ward by 13 votes, but handily won the 66th, taking 55.78 percent of the overall vote. He’ll need more money to topple the well-funded White.
Darragh will be happy to run on a ticket headed by Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, saying that they’ve run campaigns geared to working families. He faults Donald Trump for running a campaign appealing to fear and reactionaries.
On the issues, Darragh will contrast himself with White by noting his pro-choice stand on abortion. He also favors Police Commissioner Richard Ross’ call to increase the number of cops from a two-decade low of about 6,100 to 6,525.
Jobs, quality of life and public education funding are also high on his agenda.
“We have to invest in education,” he said.
Darragh dismisses the argument White made in the race against DelRicci that the district would be better served with a member of the majority caucus. He wants to get to Harrisburg to end the dysfunction.
“Government has to govern,” he said.
Darragh looks forward to discussing the issues with White.
“I would love to debate Martina,” he said. ••
