The May 16th primary election is almost a month away. As the mayor’s race closes in, seven Democratic candidates faced off in the first televised debate, hosted by Fox 29 and Temple University. Candidates took to the stage in the Performing Arts Center to express why they should be Philadelphia’s next mayor. The debate lasted for ninety minutes, at times getting heated.
Some of the biggest topics of the night were education, gun violence, and public safety. Here’s what a few candidates had to say.
On the education crisis in Philadelphia, Helen Gym stated “I’m very clear that our education crisis is directly related to the violence that is happening here in Philadelphia.”
Cherelle Parker: “Every law enforcement agency in Philadelphia has to have a coordinated approach to address public safety”
Rebecca Rynhartt: “I would activate the emergency operations center on day one. That includes not just the police response but the streets department”
Amen Brown: “Boosting the morale on day one by hiring a new police commissioner, removing violent criminals off the street, making ski-masks illegal,…”
Allan Domb: “The Temple security will be a part of my public safety cabinet, we’ll be meeting weekly”
Derek Green: “We need to change the culture and the perspective of the police department”
The Temple University Police Association recently endorsed Jeff Brown. “The Temple police trust me, they picked me. They were aware of the other candidates; they interviewed the other candidates,” said Brown in an interview with Temple Update.
Many Temple students were in attendance at the debate. Their biggest concern is public safety.
Jonathan Iacovelli has been keeping track of the election since January, the debate highlighted some of the biggest issues on his mind.
“What they have to say about crime not just in Temple’s campus and the surrounding area but in the city as a whole. Housing is also a really big issue for me and so is climate change and what they’re gonna do to protect the environment in the city” said Iacovelli.
Inside the auditorium, Temple’s student body president Gianni Quattrocchi pressed candidates about their plans to address the safety of students.
“I think the biggest issue that the student body is facing and that these candidates should address is crime and public safety in Philadelphia,” said Quattrochi.
Democrats James Deleon, Warren Bloom, Delscia Gray, and Republican David Oh did not participate in the debate. If you missed the event, you can watch a re-broadcast of the full mayoral debate, right here, on Sunday at 3 pm and 11 pm. Only on TUTV and templetv.Net.
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