The ONLY Poll that Counts happens today May 16 Primary Election Day

As you read this edition of the SCOOP USA Newspaper, if you are one of the people who pick up SCOOP on the first day the new edition hits the streets, then more than likely, it is Tuesday, May 16, Primary Election Day in Pennsylvania

- Thera Martin

For the last six weeks or so, the publisher of our newspaper, Sherri Darden, has allowed me to write about the various candidates running for office in today’s Primary Election (Tuesday, May 16), largely candidates from Philadelphia. Even though some candidates act as if they don’t understand the value of a newspaper like ours, we still, in an effort of fair and equal coverage, have written about 90 percent of the candidates running in the May 16 primary and have certainly mentioned all of them. In many cases, candidates have been so invisible you have to wonder if they really, truly want a political office.

If you can’t muster up enough money to afford a campaign office, a basic website, a few ads in newspapers such as the SCOOP, and some radio ads, if not TV, wow, maybe you’re not ready for primetime. Today’s political campaigns are highly competitive and way too expensive, but guess what? It is what it is. That’s the way this political process is played out in the 21st century. You gotta pay to play.

At any rate, since most of you are hopefully reading this column on decision day, May 16, 2023, let me run a few things down about today’s election one last time.

Voters will be deciding who the Democratic candidate for Mayor will be, that will face off against Republican mayoral hopeful David Oh in the fall. I will remind you 10 people are running on the Democratic side to replace Mayor Jim Kenney, who will have served his two full terms in December of this year.

You get to vote for one district city council person, whatever part of the city you live in. You also get to vote for five city council members at large. (Some 28 individuals are running for those five seats.) You can only pick five names.