Margo Davidson has only been serving in the State House since 2011, yet she has already made a name for herself and raised speculation about a possible run for Lieutenant Governor. The only problem is, she may not have the support of her district anymore.
After breaking down barriers by becoming the first black and first female representative of her Delaware County district, Rep. Davidson made headlines with her votes last year against Democrats on the issues of abortion and school vouchers. These decisions have led to a pair of primary challengers in her Democratic district who feel Rep. Davidson isn’t Democratic enough.
Billy J. Smith, a criminal defense attorney from Philadelphia, has announced his candidacy to take on Davidson and has called the State Rep. a conservative Democrat. Smith is a former Philly assistant DA and councilman from Lansdowne who could appeal to the 164th district, which lies in Delaware County on the Philadelphia border.
“From the beginning of my entry into this race, my campaign has been about my demonstrated commitment to public service first as an assistant district attorney and then as a councilperson for Lansdowne Borough, and my belief that those experiences have prepared me to effectively advocate for the hard working people in the 164th District,” Smith, 38, said.
Meanwhile another candidate has emerged, Dafan Zhang, an IT professional with a personal story political consultants dream about. Zhang immigrated to the U.S. from China and was even homeless for a time, yet has been able to earn a Masters degree from the Fels Institute at Penn and a Certificate from Wharton. He will also receive his JD from Penn this spring.
“I really want to do what I can for the community and it’s the right time for me to do it,” Zhang said concerning his candidacy.
Despite the challengers, however, Rep. Davidson isn’t showing any fear.
“I find it interesting how out of the woodwork there comes people who have never demonstrated commitment to the community who want a job,” Davidson said about her Democratic challengers. “I am confident that people will through that and support me for another term.”
So, we ask you dear readers, who do you think the Democrats should nominate?
Who should Democrats nominate in HD-164?
- Billy Smith (57%)
- Margo Davidson (25%)
- Dafan Zhang (18%)
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15 Responses
margo davidson won her seat in 2010 when no other dems picked up a republican seat! this seat wouldn’t even exist if it weren’t for her hard work and campaign skills.
vote for margo!
It’s time for Margo Davidson to go. She is not a real Democrat. Vote Billy Smith!
Demo or not is realy not the issue, IMO. Billy Smith is a hard working, trustworthy, family oriented man who will represent the district with honor and dignity. Vote SMITH 2014!
I’m supporting the real democrat here: BIlly Smith! Margo Davidson doesn’t appear to be a real dem at all.
Margo is not running for Lt. Gov.
She is virtually unknown outside her district, and she’s not traveling around the state like the candidates who actually are running for Lt. Gov.
Margo is a very nice person, but I (and a lot of other Dems who supported her originally) have been disappointed by some of her votes. She lost me when she voted for the GOP’s horrible congressional redistricting plan.
I know Billy Smith, and he’s a standup guy – I’d vote for him!
Davidson does have an exceptional record…exceptionally bad. Anti-choice, anti-public schools, anti-LGBT. She also voted for the redistricting plan that sent more Republicans to Congress…the same Republicans who cut food stamps and shutdown the government. This is why her only response is name-calling.
Meanwhile, her hypocrisy is on full display. She first ran for State Rep because Mario Civera was running for two offices at once (State Rep and County Council). Now she’s trying to run for State Rep and Lt Governor. Hopefully she will lose both races.
Looking for a real Democrat? Vote Billy Smith.
As a Lansdowne resident I live in the new portion of the 164th. I’ve heard of Margo Davidson, but I’m not sure what’s amazing about her record. My only recollection of her is when she was silenced on the floor of the House when she talking about hypothetically shooting another member. What makes her record amazing Thanks.
As a resident of the district,The other candidates talked about themselves and how they could help the district. Our current Rep. resorted to name calling. That turns me off. It is a window into a person’s character. In fairness I will check out the other the other article posted in an above comment an hopefully find more info on our current Rep. that conveys a positive mental attitude.
Margo Davidson. An exceptional record to Run on.
Margo Davidson is such a strong leader. This article is slanted and if you want to read an article that talks about Margo’s amazing record, read the Daily news here! It’s an actual newspaper not a blog! http://tinyurl.com/nnsy4gl
Billy Smith for HD-164!!
Billy Smith is the hardest worker I know!
Billy Smith! We need a class act in the House!
Billy Smith!