Pennsylvania’s 2025 primary election will be held Tuesday, May 20, with Philadelphians voting for their party’s nominees for district attorney, city controller and judicial positions, and deciding the fate of three ballot questions.
The big race is on the Democratic side for district attorney, where former Municipal Court Judge Pat Dugan is attempting to thwart Larry Krasner’s bid for a third term.
Metro has interviewed and profiled both candidates. This is a preview of what else city voters will see on their ballots Tuesday.
City Controller
Democratic City Controller Christy Brady and GOP hopeful Ari Patrinos are unopposed in their respective party’s primary.
In 2022, Mayor Jim Kenney appointed Brady, a longtime employee of the office, to serve in an acting capacity when then-Controller Rebecca Rhynhart resigned to run for mayor. Two years ago, Brady was elected to serve the remainder of Rhynhart’s term.
Patrinos, a Northwest Philadelphia native, is a Harvard graduate who left a career in finance to return home and teach in public and charter schools, according to his campaign biography.
Statewide judges
Seats are up for grabs this year on the Pennsylvania Superior and Commonwealth appeals courts.
Chester County Court of Common Pleas Judge Ann Marie Wheatcraft and attorney Maria Battista are vying for the Republican nomination for Superior Court. Battista ran unsuccessfully for the same post in the 2023 general election.
The GOP Commonwealth Court primary is a contest between Erie attorney Matt Wolford, who specializes in environmental law, and attorney Josh Prince, of Berks County.
On the Democratic ballot, no one is opposing Washington County Court of Common Pleas Judge Brandon Neuman for Superior Court and Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Stella Tsai for Commonwealth Court.
Local judges
Ten Democrats are running for nine available spots on the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, while five have entered the race for three open seats on the Municipal Court.
Will Braveman, Leon A. King II, Larry Farnese, Brian Kisielewski, Irina Ehrlich, Anthony Stefanski, Deborah Watson-Stokes, Sarah Jones, Kia Ghee and Taneisha Henry are the candidates for the Court of Common Pleas.
All but Henry are being supported by the city’s Democratic Party, and the same nine are also recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association.
Sherrie Cohen, Amanda Davidson, Cortez Patton, Qawi Abdul-Rahman and Shawn Page are running for Municipal Court. Party leadership has endorsed Davidson, Patton and Page, and only Davidson is recommended by the bar association.
Michael Huff will appear on Democratic ballots for both courts; however, a state court ordered his name be removed, due to a dispute over his city residency. The City Commissioners said the ruling came too late for him to be taken off the ballot. Any votes cast for Huff, other than write-ins, will not be counted, election officials said.
No GOP candidates are on the ballot for either county court.
Ballot questions
Pennsylvania has closed primaries, meaning only registered Democrats and Republicans can weigh in on their respective party’s nominees. But any registered voter can vote “yes” or “no” on ballot questions.
The first measure would create an ombudsperson for the city’s embattled Office of Homeless Services.
Championed by City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, the ombudsperson would be tasked with conducting investigations into OHS, issuing subpoenas, evaluating grievances and acting as an advocate for the homeless population, according to the legislation.
OHS came under fire in late 2023 for overspending its budget by nearly $15 million, and homeless individuals have also spoken out about poor conditions inside shelters.
The second question, if approved, would require the city to contribute more to its Housing Trust Fund, by mandating an allocation equal to the amount the municipal government receives through density bonus payment from developers.
Councilmember Jamie Gauthier introduced the measure, and her office said the money is supposed to go into the fund. If the requirement had been in place, an extra $36 million would have gone toward affordable housing, according to her team.
And the final question asks voters whether a new oversight mechanism should be established for the city’s jails. The measure would create the Prison Community Oversight Board and an accompanying municipal office.
The Philadelphia Department of Prisons has faced a host of issues, particularly since the onset of COVID-19, and is currently being supervised by a federal court judge as part of a class-action settlement.
Staff from the oversight agency would be empowered to “review, investigate and provide recommendations,” with access to prison staff, inmates, jail facilities, databases and documents, according to legislation passed in Council.
The board would replace PDP’s advisory council and be required to hold at least one monthly public meeting.
How to vote
Polling places will be open for in-person voting from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Philadelphians can find their voting location by typing in their address at atlas.phila.gov/voting.
For those voting by mail who have not yet returned their ballot, the City Commissioners recommend delivering it to a dropbox or an elections office. Ballots must be received, not postmarked, by 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Two dozen 24/7 dropboxes are scattered throughout the city, in addition to a satellite elections office in each of the 10 Council districts. For a full list of locations, go to vote.phila.gov.
Additional information about voting is available on the state’s website, vote.pa.gov.
