Philadelphia City Council is the legislative body governing the city of Philadelphia. It is composed of 17 members, 10 of whom are elected from districts and seven of whom are elected at-large. The current members of the council include incumbents and more than 30 people who have officially applied to run for the city's seven general seats. Two of these seats are reserved for parties that are not in the majority.
The 10 district-level seats considered most difficult for applicants to obtain are also being contested. The Office of City Commissioners will begin preparing and printing mail-in ballots for the May 16 primary elections once the list is finalized. Among the current members of Philadelphia City Council are:Isaiah Thomas Selby - Selby, a Strawberry Mansion native, has a diverse background that includes being a chef, presenting radio and television gastronomic programs on PhillyCam, and working on a marketing company that developed Philly 4 Life, a school violence prevention project.
Helen Gym
- Robbins was born in Maryland and was an Army combat doctor before moving to Philadelphia in 1995. She has been a radio presenter at WURD and a political strategist, working on campaigns for Governor Bob Casey and other City Council candidates.Al Taubenberger
- Cristinzio, from Harrowgate, is a PPA maintenance worker who recently retired and has worked in the manufacturing industry since the 1970s. He is also a longtime member of a Republican committee.Bill Greenlee
- A resident of Torresdale, Kelly is a retired secretary who worked in the Philadelphia court system for 26 years.She has also worked for a decade and a half as a “premium service” stewardess for the Phillies.
Jamie Gauthier
- In the Council, Brooks proposed a rent control law and an estate tax, and has promoted bills that protect people seeking abortions, requiring paid sick leave for COVID-19, and that offer rental assistance. He has opposed wage and business tax cuts and has called for more money to be allocated to crisis counselors than to the police.Ori Feibush
- Young is an attorney who specializes in real estate, government affairs, and business law. He previously worked as legislative advisor to the retired Board President, Darrell Clarke, and is a partner at Legis Group LLC. Young is a member of the District 32 committee and previously served on the board of directors of the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation.David Oh
- O'Neill, Philadelphia's only current Republican councilman, is serving his eleventh term.Before being elected in 1979, he was a juvenile parole officer, legal assistant at the Court of Common Appeals, and a private practice attorney. He is a member of the Philadelphia Airport Advisory Board and of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Kendra Brooks
- After regaining sobriety, he was appointed executive director of the Office of State Senator Sharif Street and political director of the Democratic Party of Philadelphia. Raised in Germantown, he was a member of the board of directors of the Philadelphia Student Union and recently co-founded the Philadelphia Labor for Black Lives Coalition. He is currently the president of political action for the NAACP Philadelphia branch and a member of the city committee.Isaiah Thomas Young - Young is an administrator and construction manager who has overseen projects for the School District of Philadelphia and Philadelphia Gas Works. The current members of Philadelphia City Council have diverse backgrounds but share one common goal: to serve their constituents with integrity. With their varied experiences in politics, business law, construction management, radio presenting, marketing campaigns, gastronomy programs, juvenile parole officer work among others they bring unique perspectives to their roles as council members.
