Cherelle Parker
100th Mayor of Philadelphia
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Preceded byJim Kenney
Member of the Philadelphia City Council
from the 9th district
In office
January 4, 2016 – September 7, 2022
Preceded byMarian B. Tasco
Succeeded byAnthony Phillips
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 200th district
In office
September 13, 2005 – December 31, 2015
Preceded byLeAnna Washington
Succeeded byTonyelle Cook-Artis
Personal details
Born (1972-09-10) September 10, 1972
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Ben Mullins
​
(m. 2010)​
Children1
EducationLincoln University (BS)
University of Pennsylvania (MPA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Cherelle Lesley Parker (born September 10, 1972)[1] is an American politician who has served as the 100th Mayor of Philadelphia since 2024. She is the first woman to hold the office.[2][3]

Parker served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2005 to 2015, representing the 200th district in Northwest Philadelphia. She was elected to represent the ninth district on the Philadelphia City Council in 2015 and re-elected in 2019, serving as majority leader from 2020 to 2022.

In September 2022, Parker resigned from City Council and announced her candidacy in the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election.[4] She won the Democratic primary in May 2023.[5] The following November, she defeated Republican David Oh in the general election.[6]

Early life and education

Parker was born in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Northwest Philadelphia to an unmarried teenage mother. Her mother died when Parker was 11, and she was raised by her grandparents, a disabled Navy veteran and a domestic worker who both grew up in the South.[7] In 1990, as a senior at Parkway High School, Parker won a citywide oratorical contest; in addition to receiving a cash prize and a trip to Senegal and Morocco, she was introduced to then-City Councilmember Marian B. Tasco, who hired Parker as an intern.[8]

Parker graduated from Lincoln University in 1994 and briefly worked as a high school English teacher in Pleasantville, New Jersey, before returning to Councilmember Tasco's office in 1995, filling a variety of roles for the next decade.[7]

Early political career

Parker in 2016

In 2005, Parker ran in a special election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives to fill the seat left open by LeAnna Washington after Washington was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate. Parker won the election, and became the youngest Black woman ever elected to the state legislature.[9] She remained in that office for ten years, five of which she was chair of the Philadelphia delegation. Her accomplishments in the House of Representatives include the "Philadelphia Tax Fairness Package", a special cigarette tax, and the 2012 Act 75, which amended state law to allow expert testimony in sexual assault cases.[7]

When Tasco retired from city council in 2015, Parker sought to succeed her.[10] The Democratic Party chose Parker to run as her replacement, and she won. During her time on the city council, she has led the passage of the "Philly First Home" program.[7]

In January 2020, Parker defeated Bobby Henon to become majority leader for Democrats on the city council.[11] In February 2021, Parker was elected to the chair of the board for the Delaware River Port Authority.[12]

2023 Philadelphia mayoral campaign

Primary election

On September 7, 2022, Parker resigned from the City Council and announced her candidacy for Mayor of Philadelphia in the 2023 election.[4] Following her resignation, she registered as a state lobbyist, representing Longwood Gardens and Moore College of Art and Design.[13]

Parker ran as a moderate Democrat compared to more progressive candidates in the primary.[14] Her campaign focused on crime and public safety, pledging to hire 300 new police officers and opposing the establishment of a supervised injection site in Philadelphia.[15] While Parker opposed the policing tactic known as "stop-and-frisk" during her City Council tenure,[16] she supported Terry stops during her mayoral campaign, saying, "Terry stops are what I wholeheartedly embrace as a tool that law enforcement needs, to make the public safety of our city their number one priority. It is a legal tool."[17][18]

Polling showed a statistical tie in the primary, with Parker, former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart, and former City Councilmember Helen Gym in the lead.[19] Parker was endorsed by many labor unions and members of the city's political establishment, including former mayoral candidates Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Derek S. Green.[20] While Parker lagged in fundraising behind most of the major candidates,[21] campaign finance reports showed only she and Rhynhart raised a majority of their funds from Philadelphia residents.[22]

On May 16, 2023, Parker was declared the winner of the Democratic primary, receiving 32.6% of the vote and defeating her closest opponent by ten percentage points due to her strong support in Black and low-income neighborhoods.[20]

General election

Parker faced Republican David Oh in the general election.[9]

Parker would not campaign for almost a month after winning the crowded Democratic primary, citing complications to an earlier Root canal treatment.[23] After recovering, Parker has refused to debate Oh claiming that the 7 to 1 voter registration advantage the Democrats had made any effort to interact with Oh a waste of campaign resources.[24] Jennifer Stefano of the The Philadelphia Inquirer called Parker's move to cut out Oh "Trumpesque" and "a danger to our democracy."[25] In the five elections since 2003, where the Republicans never got more than 21.7% of the vote, there had always been a debate between the Republican and Democratic candidate.[26] Lauren Cristella, president and CEO of the Committee of Seventy also criticized Parker's refusal to debate Oh, stating that this is the first time in 24 years without a debate.[27]

Parker agreed to have a joint interview with Oh at the Please Touch Museum where the pair took questions from Children for their vision of Philadelphia. There, Parker stated that she wishes to see Philadelphia be the "safest, cleanest, and greenest big city in the nation, with economic opportunity for all."[27] Shortly afterwards Parker agreed to face off against Oh in a single debate on October 26 over the radio on Philadelphia’s Morning News on KYW.[28] As of September 27 Parker has only taken on an additional $875,000 in campaign donations compared to her $2.2 million during the primaries, outspending Oh (who raised $467,000) nearly 2:1.[29]

Parker defeated Oh with 75% of the vote.[30] Her term as mayor began at midnight on January 1, 2024, but she will not be formally sworn in until January 2, as the inauguration will be delayed one day to avoid coinciding with the Mummers Parade.[3]

Political positions

Education

In 2023, Parker supported opening schools for a longer duration of the day and mandatory year-round schooling, arguing that "children are no longer working the farms in summertime."[31] She proposed launching a pilot program, as well as increasing allocation of real estate taxes that go toward the Philadelphia School District from 55% to 58% to accommodate for the increased air conditioning costs associated with longer operating hours in the school year.[32][33]

Public safety

Parker's platform has been described as "tough on crime".[33] Parker opposes supervised injection sites.[34] She supports Terry stops, also known as "constitutional stop-and-frisk",[35] after having previously fought to end its supposedly unconstitutional and discriminatory use.[36] In a 2022 op-ed written on The Philadelphia Inquirer, Parker pledged to hire 300 additional police officers.[37]

Personal life

Parker married Ben Mullins, a leader in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, in 2010.[38] They live in the Mount Airy section of Philadelphia, and have a son, Langston, who was named after Langston Hughes.[9][39]

In 2011, Parker was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol and driving the wrong way on a one-way street.[40] She was convicted and lost her appeal in 2015. She began serving her sentence of three days in jail, a $1,000 fine, and a one-year license suspension.[41]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nogueras, Carlos (September 10, 2022). "Cherelle Parker holds dual event to celebrate her 50th birthday and kick off her mayoral campaign". Al Día. Retrieved May 18, 2023.
  2. ↑ Orso, Anna (May 22, 2023). "Cherelle Parker on becoming the first woman poised to be Philly mayor: 'I didn't get here alone'". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  3. 1 2 Farr, Stephanie (December 29, 2023). "For 36 hours, Philly won't have a sworn-in mayor. Here's how we should mark the rare event". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Orso, Anna; Walsh, Sean Collins (September 7, 2022). "Philly Councilmember Cherelle L. Parker has resigned and will run for mayor". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  5. ↑ Orso, Anna; Walsh, Sean Collins (May 17, 2023). "Cherelle Parker won the Democratic nomination for mayor". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  6. ↑ Walsh, Sean Collins; Schneiderman, Lauren (November 7, 2023). "Democrat Cherelle Parker will become Philadelphia's first female mayor". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
  7. 1 2 3 4 West, Tony (November 21, 2019). "Cherelle Parker: The Girl Who Found a Home in City Hall". Philadelphia Public Record. Archived from the original on November 23, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ Levy, Jordan (September 7, 2022). "Cherelle Parker resigns: What to know about the Northwest Philly scion planning a run for mayor". Billy Penn.
  9. 1 2 3 Griswold, Eliza (November 10, 2023). "Cherelle Parker Defies the Progressive Agenda". The New Yorker. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  10. ↑ Bailey, Samaria (February 26, 2015). "State Rep. Parker announces run for City Council". The Philadelphia Tribune.
  11. ↑ Collins, Sean (January 6, 2020). "Philadelphia City Council: Cherelle Parker beats Bobby Henon as majority leader". Inquirer.com. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  12. ↑ Marin, Max (February 17, 2021). "Politics power move: Cherelle Parker, expected candidate for Philly mayor, elected DRPA chair". Billy Penn. WHYY. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  13. ↑ Walsh, Sean Collins (September 28, 2022). "Mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker became a Harrisburg lobbyist days after resigning from City Council". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  14. ↑ Schultz, Brooke (May 15, 2023). "Philadelphia Democratic mayoral primary pits moderates against progressives". Associated Press.
  15. ↑ Orso, Anna (May 17, 2023). "A guide to Cherelle Parker: What to know about the person Philly Democrats picked for mayor". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  16. ↑ Moselle, Aaron (February 10, 2020). "Councilmember Parker wants Philadelphia voters to weigh in on 'stop and frisk'". WHYY.
  17. ↑ Caiola, Sammy (May 30, 2023). "Democratic mayoral nominee Cherelle Parker wants to strengthen police, lean on stops and searches to tackle gun violence". WHYY.
  18. ↑ Palmer, Chris (March 16, 2023). "Stop-and-frisk is getting renewed attention in Philly amid a mayor's race focused on crime". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  19. ↑ "Philly mayor's race poll results: Statistical tie, with three women in front". Billy Penn. April 28, 2023.
  20. 1 2 Orso, Anna (May 17, 2023). "How Cherelle Parker won the primary: Black voters, a boost from labor, and a personal story of Philly grit". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  21. ↑ Shukla, Aseem (June 5, 2023). "The dollars per vote in this year's mayoral election, from $26 for Cherelle Parker to $460 for Allan Domb". Philadelphia Inquirer.
  22. ↑ Orso, Anna (April 10, 2023). "Half the money collected by candidates for Philly mayor comes from outside the city". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  23. ↑ Snyder, Dan. "David Oh believes he's the GOP's best candidate in decades". CBS. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  24. ↑ Hawkins, Niki. "Philadelphia Mayor's Race: To debate or not to debate is the question for David Oh, Cherelle Parker". WPVI-TV. ABC. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  25. ↑ Stefano, Jennifer. "Why Cherelle Parker should debate David Oh". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  26. ↑ Roth, Fallon. "Cherelle Parker is declining to debate David Oh. That's not the norm". billypenn.com. WHYY-FM. Retrieved August 29, 2023.
  27. 1 2 Snyder, Dan. "Philadelphians mayor candidates Cherelle Parker, David Oh take questions from kids at Please Touch Museum". CBS. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  28. ↑ Chang, David. "Cherelle Parker and David Oh to face off in Philly mayoral debate". WCAU. NBC. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  29. ↑ Walsh, Sean Collins; Shukla, Aseem. "How much money have mayoral candidates Cherelle Parker and David Oh raised?". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Local Elections". WPVI. November 7, 2023. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  31. ↑ Fiorillo, Victor (May 11, 2023). "Philly Today: Cherelle Parker Wants Mandated Year-Round School". Philly Mag. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  32. ↑ Mcilwain, Kaleah (May 9, 2023). "Philly Mayoral Candidate Cherelle Parker Wants Year-Round Schooling for Students". NBC News 10 Philadelphia. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  33. 1 2 Walsh, Sean Collins; Orso, Anna (May 17, 2023). "A guide to Cherelle Parker: What to know about the person Philly Democrats just picked for mayor". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  34. ↑ Giordano, Dom (December 14, 2022). "Mayoral Candidate Cherelle Parker: No Safe Injection Sites for Philadelphia!". Audacy. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  35. ↑ Orso, Anna (April 19, 2023). "Setting the record straight on stop-and-frisk in Philadelphia". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  36. ↑ Schultz, Brooke (May 12, 2023). "Philadelphia mayoral race homes in on crime policies". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  37. ↑ Parker, Cherelle L. (March 24, 2022). "300 new community police officers could help stem Philly's pervasive violence | Opinion". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
  38. ↑ "Cherelle and Ben's diamond wedding". August 8, 2010.
  39. ↑ Williams, Stephen (April 7, 2023). "Mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker building diverse coalition to win". The Philadelphia Tribune.
  40. ↑ Gambacorta, David (May 6, 2011). "State Rep. Parker arrested on DUI charge". inquirer.com.
  41. ↑ "Rep. Cherelle Parker's DUI sentence upheld". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
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