Another Blackwell heads to Council

Jannie Blackwell began accepting congratulations even before the polls closed last night at 8 p.m. "I am confident," Blackwell explained simply, adding there was no need to wait for confirmation that she had been elected to replace her husband, Lucien Blackwell, as the new City Council member for the University's district. She was right to be confident. Jannie Blackwell steamrolled to an easy victory over her Republican challenger, Howard Williams, a retired Philadelphia police officer and part-time door guard at the Van Pelt Library. With 56 percent of the votes counted, Blackwell had tallied an overwhelming 91 percent of the vote, compared to just seven percent for Williams. A third candidate received two percent of the vote. Blackwell, whose husband vacated the seat after four terms in the City Council to run for the U.S. House of Representatives, spoke to a wildly applauding crowd at Lucien Blackwell's headquarters following his victory speech. Responding to pulsing chants of "Jannie, Jannie, Jannie," she thanked all of her supporters and said she "couldn't have made it without all of the volunteers." In interviews before and after the speech, she said she would continue the work she helped her husband accomplish during the 16 years she worked as his administrative assistant. She added that she would focus on such issues as housing for the homeless, education and cleaning up the city, saying at one point, "Cleanliness is next to godliness." And she said she hopes to get some assistance from her husband in Washington, D.C. in securing more federal funding for Philadelphia, especially now that the city is in a "money crunch period." But she denied the suggestion by some that Lucien Blackwell would still exert control over City Council by using her as a sort of puppet, even now that he is headed for Capitol Hill. "Absurd to even consider it," she said bluntly. While admitting she would draw on his 20 years of experience in public office for some guidance and retain both his staff and office, Blackwell said she could lead effectively on her merits and qualifications alone. "Certainly I know this community," she said. "I know what their concerns are. I know what matters." Marva Sother, a minister at the New Hope Outreach Center on Wayne Avenue, said she supported Blackwell because "she's her own person." "She has a lot of experience, and she seems to carry her own weight pretty well," Sother said. Although the night and the office on the 3900 block of Walnut Street clearly belonged to Lucien Blackwell, the new member of Congress made a point of sharing the spotlight with his wife and credited her with much of his success. While he announced his victory amidst a throng of cheering supporters, Lucien Blackwell said he wanted to thank his "dear wife." "I want to thank her for being my strength, for being my hope and for being my joy," he said. "She's such a wonderful person. And she's a winner too."

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