Although City Controller Jonathan Saidel is up for re-election this November, the Democrat doesn't seem particularly concerned about his chances.
When asked about his GOP challenger, Philadelphia lawyer Joseph Gembala, Saidel did not even recognize the name at first.
"I'm expecting to be victorious election day," a confident Saidel said. "As always, I run on my record."
According to Urban Studies Professor Ted Hershberg, the reelection of Saidel -- as well as Democratic incumbent District Attorney Lynne Abraham -- is all but certain.
"Given the [city's heavily Democratic] registration, and given their record and given the absence of scandal, it's just inconceivable," that either could lose, Hershberg said.
Abraham, a Democrat serving her 12th year as district attorney, faces Republican Joseph Bongiovanni, independent Leon Williams and Green Party hopeful Richard Ash.
Abraham's staff expressed confidence, although they were more cautious in their optimism than Saidel.
"We never take any election for granted," said Eleanor Dezzi, Abraham's campaign manager. "Lynne has been very busy [campaigning] over the summer."
Political Science Professor Henry Teune also predicted an easy victory for Abraham and Saidel, especially given the lack of major corruption.
"They're not visibly corrupt," Teune said. "I'm sure they're running as honest a business as you can in a one-party town."
Despite the predictions of a Democratic landslide, the GOP and its candidates are not giving up hope. Both Bongiovanni and Gembala disputed the clean records of Abraham and Saidel.
"Recently, a lot of things have come to light that indicate that [Saidel] has not done a very good job as city controller," Gembala said.
Specifically, Gembala pointed out that Saidel's signature was on the contract for the installation of the faulty NeXturf artificial field at Veterans Stadium, which caused the cancellation of the Eagles' preseason opener against the Baltimore Ravens last month.
Saidel has recently opened an investigation into how the contract was awarded. Gembala acknowledged that Saidel has gained favorable press from the investigation.
"He has gotten public exposure, but he shouldn't," Gembala said.
Gembala also questioned Saidel's capability to hold the job of controller, the city's key financial officer. Saidel was on the board of Metrobank, an institution started by his family. The bank, which struggled financially, was dissolved by the federal government in 1996.
Abraham was recently in the limelight as well, as convicted murderer Ira Einhorn, on the run for 20 years, was finally brought back to the United States from France.
According to Bongiovanni, it was Abraham's fault that Einhorn has been out of the country for so long.
"No one was ever willing to pay attention to it, but the federal government reclaimed him," Bongiovanni said. "She only [tried Einhorn in absentia] in a publicity stunt, and it was more trouble than it was worth."
Though Einhorn was arrested in France in 1997, the French would not allow him to be extradited because he would not receive another trial in America.
Abraham also faced intense criticism in the Democratic primary this spring from Alex Talmadge Jr., who branded her as a racist. Abraham was victorious, amassing 59 percent of the vote, but the race was the closest of her career.
Bongiovanni claimed that Talmadge's charges show that Philadelphia minorities lack faith in Abraham.
"The point that you have to focus on is that the minority community neither trusts her or has confidence in her," Bongiovanni said.
However, Dezzi insisted that the racism charges are unfounded, saying Abraham ensures "every citizen in Philadelphia gets treated in a fair and equal manner."
And Saidel denied Gembala's claims that he could have helped avoid the problems with the turf at the Vet.
"I don't have the power to stop" such contracts, Saidel said. "All I have the power to do is to say which money is appropriated for a specific project."
Nor did Saidel take Gembala's reference to Metrobank seriously.
"People talked about that 10 years ago," Saidel said flippantly.
