Philadelphia is always a surprising city - so should the surprisingly successful outcomes achieved by outsider candidates in Philadelphia elections be interpreted as representing fundamental changes in the local political environment, or simply as one-off victories? John Kromer’s insightful Philadelphia Battlefields: Disruptive Campaigns and Upset Elections in a Changing City considers key local campaigns undertaken from 1951 to 2019 that were extraordinarily successful despite the opposition of the city’s political establishment. He'll be in conversation with Heather Pierce, a Democratic Committeeperson for the 22nd Ward and an organizer of Open Wards Philly.
This is an online event. You must RSVP to receive the link: https://forms.gle/BDnHiqTAVnDGUVBc7. Books can be purchased here.
John Kromer is a planning and development consultant, an instructor in urban development policy at the University of Pennsylvania, former Director of Housing for the city of Philadelphia under Mayor Edward G. Rendell, and a participant in local political campaigns and elections. He is the author of Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies and has written extensively on downtown and neighborhood development issues.
Heather Pierce is a Democratic Committeeperson for the 22nd Ward,1st Division (in which Big Blue Marble Bookstore is located). She previously served as Judge of Elections in the 1st Division, and she held this position for fourteen years. Ms. Pierce is currently co-chair of the 22nd Ward Open Caucus and sits on the Steering Committee of Open Wards Philly.
