You may have heard about the excitement at last week’s Citizen debate, featuring five of the minority party at-large City Council candidates: Republican incumbent Dennis O’Brien refused to give up the mic, was heckled by the audience, wouldn’t respond to questions from other candidates, and then walked off the stage—twice.
But there was also excitement beyond O’Brien’s antics. For the only time in the run-up to the general election on Tuesday, Republicans O’Brien and Terry Tracy; Socialist John Staggs; Independent Andrew Stober; and Green Party candidate Kristin Combs had the opportunity to debate real issues facing the city of Philadelphia. (Incumbent David Oh, and challengers Al Taubenberger and Dan Tinney were no-shows.) We asked them no questions; we gave them no rules. We just let them make the case for their candidacy. It wasn’t always fiery, but it did prove one thing: There are real candidates, with real ideas who deserved to be heard.
So who won? We’ll let you decide. See below for a recording of the debate, also sponsored by Committee of Seventy and Young Involved Philadelphia.
NO-HOLDS BARRED CITY COUNCIL MINORITY SEAT DEBATE