Penn club hosts state Sen. Sharif Street to discuss political background, Congressional campaign

Penn’s Black Pre-Law Association hosted state Sen. Sharif Street (D-3) last week for a fireside chat about his time in office and his current congressional campaign. 

Street — who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School in 1999 — has represented North Philadelphia since 2017 and is running to represent Pennsylvania’s third congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. During the March 19 discussion, he spoke about his work as a state senator, including his efforts to counter the Trump administration. 

As a state senator, Street sponsored the bill to create Pennie, which he called “Pennsylvania’s own version of Obamacare.”

Street added that during his time in office, he has sued 1968 Wharton graduate Donald Trump’s administration “over a dozen times to beat them every time,” and that if elected, he will fight Trump’s “crazy, racist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, antisemitic, anti-immigrant” policies in Congress.

“It was the first time I had a chance to really reflect on the diversity that existed within people of color and within Black people and black communities,” Street said at the event, describing his first years in office. “We are just trying to be seen and heard in that space.”

“At the state level, I have worked to advance the kinds of things I want to do at the federal level, and I have the kind of experience that is necessary to get it done,” Street told The Daily Pennsylvanian in an interview. “There are a lot of parallels between the way our state government works and federal government, and I’ve worked in an environment where you have to work with both Republicans and Democrats to get things done.” 

At the event, Street — the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street — also discussed his time at Penn Carey Law. If elected, he will represent Penn and University City in the House of Representatives.  

Street faces a crowded Democratic primary field that includes Penn professor Ala Stanford and state Rep. Christopher Rabb (D-200), who graduated from Penn in 2006 with a master’s degree in organizational dynamics. The race narrowed last Wednesday when David Oxman dropped out of the race and endorsed Stanford. 

Throughout the duration of the race, Street’s campaign has maintained a donation advantage over other candidates. According to campaign finance reports, his team had over $500,000 on hand at the start of this year. He has gathered endorsements from the Philadelphia Democratic Party, Penn lecturer and former Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell, and several members of the Philadelphia City Council.

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