Campus groups endorse local candidates

By Dan Spinelli 04/29/15 10:46pm

With only a few weeks until the May 19 mayoral primary, Penn political groups have started coalescing around specific candidates.

Penn Democrats officially endorsed former City Councilman Jim Kenney last week, citing his “ability to get things done for the people of this city” as a “proud and effective champion of equal rights.”

In its statement, Penn Dems went on to praise Kenney’s work on LGBTQ equality and marijuana decriminalization while on city council. It also applauded his pledge to end the police’s use of “stop-and-frisk” and his opposition to the policy of detaining undocumented immigrants “for up to 48 hours before transfer to federal custody.”

Kenney has ties to Penn through the Fels Institute of Government, where he had been an adjunct instructor for the last 13 years.

In 2007, Penn Dems endorsed Mayor Michael Nutter. Its early endorsement provided key support for the then-city councilman, who has since expressed his gratitude for its approval.

The other main partisan political group on campus, College Republicans, has mostly stayed out of the mayoral race, which will likely be won by a Democrat. There is only one Republican candidate in the race — business executive Melissa Murray Bailey — who will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November general election.

The group has not released an official endorsement, but does maintain “pretty strong ties” with the campaign of 27th Ward Republican Leader Matt Wolfe. He is running for one of the City Council at-large seats reserved for members of the minority party, which is traditionally the Republican party in Philadelphia.

“[Wolfe] and at least one staffer attend pretty much every one of our events, including general body meetings,” College Republicans Freshman Liaison and College freshman Mitchell Chan said.

The College Republicans have allowed Wolfe, who is also a Penn alumnus, “to campaign at all of [these events],” Chan added.

Other organizations avoid direct endorsements as a matter of principle. The Government and Politics Association has a byline in its constitution “against endorsements of any kind, due to [its] nonpartisan mandate,” GPA President and College sophomore Sarah Simon said.

The LGBT Center denied one candidate for elected office the opportunity to advertise in its online newsletter because of its policy against clear endorsements.

The Center has supported the presence of more out candidates and faculty, but cannot politically endorse one in particular.

The primary is less than three weeks away.

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