Mayor's Race 2007: With just $100, first Republican joins race

Republican Al Taubenberger's to-do list may be a little longer than that of your average mayoral candidate.

Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, became the Republican party's sole candidate to enter the upcoming election when he kicked off his campaign last week.

But with no campaign headquarters and only $100 in the bank at the time of his announcement, Taubenberger has his work cut out for him.

Though he said in an interview he had managed to double that amount over the weekend, that's still a long way away from the millions the Democratic mayoral candidates have been raking in through donations - one of whom he will be facing come November.

Taubenberger, while acknowledging his long-shot status, pledged to give his campaign "the old college try" and said he could afford to take the time to build up his campaign infrastructure over the course of the next several months because he isn't expecting to face any opposition in the May primary election.

Taubenberger added that, as president of the chamber of commerce, he is in a unique position of having first-hand knowledge of the problems a high tax burden, bureaucratic red tape and the "hidden cost of corruption" cause area businesses.

Citing his work on the Tax Reform Commission, created in 2002, Taubenberger voiced his support of eliminating the business privilege tax, which is paid by all businesses regardless of whether they turn a profit.

He also said his experience as a "patrolling member" of his neighborhood town watch has convinced him of the need to heavily increase the number of police officers across the city.

Ultimately, Taubenberger said, he's in the race because he thinks victory is possible.

"I wouldn't be doing it if I couldn't mount a credible candidacy to win," he said.

But political analysts were less than optimistic about Taubenberger's prospects.

When asked about Tautenberger's chances facing off against the Democratic primary victor, Larry Ceisler, a Democratic political analyst, immediately responded that he had no chance.

"He is just not going to be able to raise the type of money" required to compete with a Democrat, Ceisler said.

Democratic candidate Tom Knox, for example, is expected to spend $10 million to $15 million of his own money, while the other four Democrats have already raised over $1 million.

The importance of the Taubenberger candidacy, then, may be more modest than placing a Republican in the mayor's office for the first time in 60 years.

According to Randall Miller, a political analyst at St. Joseph's University, he may be running to ensure that Republicans at least have someone appearing on the ballot.

As Taubenberger said, "No one was stepping forward."

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