https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=BojWO1lXTOs
Well, it’s official.
Last week, we reported that State Rep. Brian Sims was preparing to run for Congress. Today he officially jumped in.
“I’ve spent my life taking on big challenges in order to do what’s right,” said Sims. “Whether tackling gender and pay equity as a civil rights attorney, or standing up for justice reform in Harrisburg, I’ve never backed down from the big fights. And I never will.”
“We need a progressive Congressman who will stand up for opportunity and justice for everyone, not just those at the top,” he continued. “In Congress, I’ll fight to invest in our kids and our classrooms, create real economic fairness and opportunity, and stand up to the NRA to get the guns off our streets.”
Sims will be running against incumbent Congressman Chaka Fattah. Rep. Fattah is under indictment on 29 counts but is still seen as difficult to defeat. The main obstacle is that Fattah is the only black member of Congress from PA and his district is overwhelmingly black.
The theory is that black voters will be hesitant to support a white challenger.
To combat that belief, Sims’ announcement video connects him to the nation’s eternal civil rights struggle. The ad connects America’s founding in Philadelphia to the women’s suffrage movement, the civil rights movement and the LGBT rights movement. It also contains shots at Donald Trump and Kim Davis as well as a show of support for the “Black Lives Matter” movement.
Sims was the first openly gay person elected to the State Legislature. That bit of personal history isn’t explicitly mentioned but his civil rights work is. The implicit message is that Sims knows what discrimination feels like and therefore has a unique ability to represent a minority-majority district.
The 2nd district is rated D+38, meaning the winner of the Democratic primary will almost assuredly win the general election as well. Philly Ninth Ward Leader Dan Muroff and Lower Merion Township Commissioner Brian Gordon are also running.
Loading ...
14 Responses
Please get lost, Brian. No one–aside from you–takes you seriously
Dan Muroff is by far the best candidate to win the nomination and hold this seat for the Democrats. He has an innate knowledge of the District and has earned the trust and respect of community leaders (regardless of race) throughout the 2nd District. Democrats should rally around Dan!
Observer: I agree 100%, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.
Who are the best potential candidates to replace Sims in the St Leg?
Who are the most likely candidates to also jump in? Dwight Evans? Nutter? Anthony Williams? (Though his charter school pals can’t sink a million in, unless a separate super PAC). Seth Williams is out (I guess Fina won’t be his campaign manager).
Fattah is under indictment on 29 counts but still will be tough to beat.
Fattah, Kane, Pawlowski… tell me again how it’s the Republicans who keep electing a bunch of corrupt idiots.
Mike: sims should be a trooper and give up his state rep seat. I’d say that for anyone of either party.
Will he be running for State House & US Congress at the same time? Or is he willing to give up the State House seat?
Gulag, Dems are at the table when redistricting happens, and THEY are the ones gerrymandering districts to keep their own white members in office. The GOP knows it’s not going to win those areas anyway, so they have no incentive to play any part in how Philly is divided. In fact, the GOP lawyers were warning the Dems that the Dems would get Pennsylvania sued by the feds if they weren’t more cautious about the lines they were drawing.
gulagPittsburgh-
Supposedly, Brady cut a deal with the GOP to make his own district less black, which is why he pressured a lot of Dem state lawmakers to vote FOR the horrid congressional redistricting plan.
That black voters would be hesitant to support a white candidate is much more than a “theory”. (even a gay white man…or maybe even more so because he is gay….or likely that has nothing to do with it). This is especially so with this being the only black Congressperson from PA and a majority black district. We should ponder WHY this is the only district that is majority black? Because the GOP knew Philly was so black that they had to gerrymander them all into one district, so as not to jeopardize control of other districts. The GOP gerrymandering also helps explain the dearth of black legislators at all levels.
So… who is going to run for Sims legislative seat? Or his he going to run for both and force a special election if he wins?
If there are three white candidates and one black candidate, Fattah wins easily. Unless the gamble is that Fattah gets convicted or otherwise forced to drop out between the filing deadline and the election.
Lol, “civil rights attorney.” Yeah, a real scholar he is. I’m sure he’s a nice guy but come on, he’s no Elizabeth Warren.
“I pledge to do as little in Washington as I did in Harrisburg. And the whole time, I will be GAY, GAY GAY! DO YOU HEAR ME?! GAY!”