Dear neighbors,

In light of the upcoming Primary Election, here’s a quick guide to help you decipher the ballot. Our suggestions are largely informed by the voting guides put forth by Reclaim Philadelphia and the Working Family Party. We also looked at Billy Penn’s guide, the Delco Dems endorsements, and the Lansdowne Leader’s endorsements.

Polling places are open from 7:00am-8:00pm. As long as you’re at least in the line by 8:00pm, you’ll be allowed to vote.

We’ll send out another newsletter in a week or so with the recap of this month’s borough activities, plus a look ahead at May’s council meeting schedule.

In solidarity,

Left of Lansdowne

P.S. Do you or someone you know need harm reduction supplies like Narcan or test strips for fentanyl/tranq? Text or call us at ‪(215) 360-3096‬

THE BALLOT

If you’re reading this, there’s a pretty good chance you’re not a Republican. So, we’ll be focusing on the Democratic Primary ballot.

President of the United States

• Joseph R. Biden Jr.

• __Uncommitted__ (write-in)

The Lansdowne Dems and Delco Dems have endorsed Biden. Left of Lansdowne members have a range of views here, but most of us plan to write in “Uncommitted” as a way to communicate to the Democratic Party that we do not approve of the genocide in Palestine:

If you’re worried about “accidentally letting Trump win,” remember that this is only the primary election. If you want to change your vote in the General Election, you can. Learn more about the strategy here.

Note: There was a second candidate for a while (Dean Phillips) but he has since dropped out of the race. His name may still appear on the ballot.

United States Senator

• Robert P. Casey Jr.

• ________________ (write-in)

Reclaim Philadelphia says “No recommendation” for U.S. Senator, but the Delco Dems and Lansdowne Dems have endorsed him. Casey walks a narrow line between left and right—saying Israel has a right to defend itself while calling for humanitarian aid for Gaza, calling himself pro-life while defending abortion rights, and campaigning with pro-police Mayor Cherelle Parker while introducing police reform bills. We’ll join Reclaim Philadelphia in not making any recommendation either way.

Attorney General

• Jack Stollsteimer

• Eugene DePasquale

• Joe Kahn

• Keir Bradford-Grey

• Jared Solomon

• ________________ (write-in)

We’re joining WFP and Reclaim Philadelphia in endorsing Keir Bradford-Grey. Bradford-Grey is Philadelphia’s former Chief Public Defender. PA has never had an AG whose experience is primarily as a public defender. If elected, she would also be PA’s first Black AG. According to City & State PA, “She’ll continue to highlight her commitment to enacting criminal justice reform, including creating programs to help keep defendants out of jail and fighting the use of cash bail for pre-trial detention.”

Bradford-Grey has also been endorsed by Laborers Local 57, EMILY’s List, Teamsters Local 623, The Collective PAC, Higher Heights for America PAC, plus local officials like Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, state Reps. Carol Kazeem, Regina Young, Gina Curry and Heather Boyd, Collingdale Councilmember Felecia Coffee, and Upper Darby Councilmember Michelle Billups.

The Lansdowne Dems have declined to endorse any candidate in this race, which is interesting, as the Delco Dems have endorsed Stollsteimer. But we agree with CABDI-Delco, which spoke out against Stollsteimer’s handling of 8-year-old Fanta Bility’s case:

Furthermore, according to CABDI-Delco, Stollsteimer broke his campaign promises to create a Conviction Integrity Unity and to create alternatives to cash bail for non-violent offenders. He also supports mass surveillance. Yikes.

Learn more about what the Attorney General does here.

Auditor General

• Malcom Kenyatta

• Mark Pinsley

• ________________ (write-in)

When it comes to Malcolm Kenyatta, the Delco Dems and Lansdowne Dems agree with the Working Family Party and Reclaim Philadelphia. We’ll join that chorus. Here’s what Reclaim Philadelphia says about Kenyatta:

Learn more about what the Auditor General does here.

State Treasurer

• Ryan Bizzarro

• Erin McClelland

• ________________ (write-in)

The Lansdowne Dems and Delco Dems have both endorsed Bizzarro, but we’re joining Reclaim Philadelphia in making no recommendation because we don’t know enough about McClelland to feel comfortable endorsing. As for Bizzarro, most of us aren’t enthused.

Our current treasurer, Stacy Garrity, has invested $20 million in Israeli bonds since October 2023 to “express support for the State of Israel.” Bizzarro largely supported the move, but his campaign hasn’t said if he’d make any changes to the strategy if elected. Meanwhile, McClelland has called Garrity’s approach risky, and has said she’d prioritize domestic investments if elected.

Spotlight PA says Bizzarro has “been a reliable Democratic vote on top issues, particularly in recent years, although he has occasionally bucked party lines,” referring his 2013 vote for a law that banned state health plans from covering abortion.

Check out this article from WHYY, which describes each candidate (and their Republican opponent) in more detail.

Representative in Congress 5th District

• Mary Gay Scanlon

• ________________ (write-in)

The Delco Dems and Lansdowne Dems both support Mary Gay Scanlon, which makes sense. She’s done a lot of good in her career, and has a largely “left” voting history.

But her track record on Israel-Palestine is very mixed. On one hand, she signed a letter calling for a ceasefire. But on the other, she voted to increase funding to Israel and to designate the antizionist slogan “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic—despite the fact that many Jews are saying it too. We’re joining Reclaim Philadelphia in not offering a recommendation.

Representative in the General Assembly 164th District

• Gina H. Curry

• ________________ (write-in)

Curry has made some big strides surrounding Black maternal health issues. Lansdowne Dems and Delco Dems have endorsed Curry, and we couldn’t find any strong arguments against. She also doesn’t have any opponents. We aren’t offering a recommendation at this time, but we don’t oppose her either.

Delegate to Democratic National Convention 5th District (vote for no more than 8)

• Jennifer O'Mara

• Ryan N. Boyer Sr

• Tanya V. Allen

• Emilio A. Buitrago

• Gina H. Curry

• Thomas J. Deluca

• Monica Taylor

• ________________ (write-in)

All of the above have committed to Biden. Given that we’re suggesting writing in Uncommitted for President, many of us will be opting out of making selections here too. FYI, Lansdowne Dems endorsed all of the above, and Delco Dems didn’t weigh in.

In conclusion…

First and foremost, consider wearing a mask to the polls! As for the candidates, consider writing in “uncommitted” for President, and selecting Keir Bradford-Grey for Attorney General and Malcom Kenyatta for Auditor General. As for the others, it’s kind of a choose-your-own-adventure situation. But hey, that’s the 2-party system for you. Happy voting!