Omar Sabir was made chair of the City Commissioners on Wednesday, replacing fellow Democrat Lisa Deeley, in a surprising shakeup to Philadelphia’s board of elections heading into the 2024 presidential contest.
GOP Commissioner Seth Bluestein teamed up with Sabir to oust Deeley, who had led the board since 2017. The body is composed of three commissioners, with one seat reserved for a member of a minority party.
Sabir, who took office in 2020, and Bluestein also ushered in rule changes Wednesday that shifted control away from the chair and created two new high-level staff positions.
Deeley chaired the board through the contentious 2020 election. She opposed the changes and abstained from the vote selecting Sabir as chair. Deeley’s office declined to comment on the situation Wednesday.
Sabir and Bluestein, in separate conversations with Metro, sought to quell any rumors of tension or drama on the board. Sabir said Deeley served as chair “with honor, fairness, integrity and a spirit of cooperation, and I will strive every day to personify that spirit.”
“I love Chairwoman Deeley. I love her family,” he added. “I love her mom. She loves my mom. We’re family.”
Bluestein, when asked about the changes, mentioned the values of an inclusive and collaborative working environment, while Sabir emphasized meeting the needs of voters who increasingly cast their ballots through the mail.
“It’s just about the voters of Philadelphia,” Sabir said. “How can we do things to make our office more accessible, more transparent and modernized?”
The new guidelines give each individual commissioner more direct control over their offices and establish directors of election administration and operations – both of whom would report to the board as a whole, rather than just the chairperson.
“All three commissioners and the team that we’re putting in place are all going to work together very effectively to manage the elections, and the voters should feel very confident that we have an experienced, competent team in place,” Bluestein said.
Pennsylvania is again expected to play a major role in the presidential race, and there will also be a contested election for U.S. senator.
The Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan good government organization, congratulated Sabir and praised the commissioners for hiring Stephanie Reid, formerly of the Managing Director’s Office, as election administration director.
“We will remain vigilant in monitoring election-related developments and look forward to working with the Office of the City Commissioners on this upcoming election and beyond,” Lauren Cristella, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
