Congregations of Shaare Shamayim hosted a candidates forum at its new location in Elkins Park, continuing a tradition that took place for many years at its longtime former site at 9768 Verree Road.
Paul Kaplan, a Shaare Shamayim member, moderated the forum. Jacques Lurie, the synagogue’s executive director, was also on hand.
Each candidate was given three minutes to speak.
Candidates also answered questions, and the left-leaning crowd grilled most of the Republican candidates on abortion, with one woman even asking a representative for U.S, Senate candidate Dave McCormick his view on miscarriages.
Lisa Deeley, a city elections commissioner who is not up for re-election this year, told the crowd that Oct. 21 is the last day to register to vote. The deadline is 5 p.m. on Oct. 29 to apply for a mail-in ballot. Deeley said people can call 215-686-VOTE or visit vote.phila.gov for more information on the election.
The following candidates were in attendance: Dave Sunday, Republican candidate for attorney general; Auditor General Tim DeFoor and his Democratic challenger, Malcolm Kenyatta; Erin McClelland, Democratic candidate for state treasurer; David Winkler, the Republican candidate in the 4th Congressional District; state Sen. Jimmy Dillon and his Republican challenger, Joe Picozzi; Aaron Bashir, Republican candidate in the 2nd Congressional District; Sean Dougherty, Democratic candidate in the 172nd Legislative District; and state Rep. Martina White.
In addition, representative for Treasurer Stacy Garrity and Senate challenger Dave McCormick spoke on their behalf.
Below is some of what the speakers said:
• Sunday, 49, is a Navy veteran who is married with a son. He said crime and overdose deaths have dropped during his time as York County district attorney. Sunday described himself as a “prosecutor.” He described Democratic opponent Eugene DePasquale as a “very nice man” and “a very good person” but someone with no prosecutorial experience.
• McClelland discussed her small business background and said she’d focus on cyber security if elected treasurer. She vowed to not invest in foreign bonds.
• Jeff Bartos, a former candidate for U.S. Senate and lieutenant governor, spoke for Treasurer Stacy Garrity, who was out of state. Garrity is a former businesswoman and retired Army Reserve colonel. Bartos noted that, after Garrity upset Democratic Treasurer Joe Torsella in 2020, she kept some of his staff on board. She’s cut fees in the PA 529 Guaranteed Savings Plan. Last October, five days after Hamas attacked and killed more than 1,200 Israelis, Garrity ordered another $20 million in investments in Israel bonds. Bartos reminded the crowd that McClelland made a post on X strongly suggesting that Kamala Harris not pick Josh Shapiro as her running mate.
• Kenyatta is in his third term as a state representative, representing a district in North Philadelphia. He said he understands state budgets and is running to make the auditor general’s office work for the people. In response to a question, he pointed out that neither he nor incumbent Tim DeFoor are CPAs, adding that no auditor general has been a CPA. He noted that two former auditor generals, Bob Casey Jr. and Eugene DePasquale, were a teacher and state representative, respectively.
• Dillon is a graduate of Our Lady of Calvary, Holy Ghost Prep and Notre Dame. He has two daughters and cares for his 88-year-old mom. He runs a basketball academy and serves as a ward leader. He said he’s brought more than $25 in state funding to the district for law enforcement, schools, apprenticeships and quality-of-life areas. In response to a question, he said the bow hunting that will be coming to a state-owned piece of ground west of Southampton Road and Roosevelt Boulevard will be seasonal and moderated.
• Picozzi, 29, is a Somerton native living in Tacony. He vowed to stand up to District Attorney Larry Krasner for what he said is his leniency on shoplifting. He supports school choice and wants to address the number of shootings in the Northeast. “That was unthinkable when I was growing up.”
• Bashir, born in Pakistan, said the United States needs God back in government, including the Ten Commandments in schools. Asked for his view on abortion, he replied, “Thou shalt not kill. Let the baby live.” He supports Israel, traditional marriage and opening of the Keystone Pipeline to make the U.S. energy independent. He wants to address the more than $35 trillion debt and high grocery and gasoline prices.
• Dougherty called for a moment of silence for slain police officer Jaime Roman and the six Israeli hostages murdered by Hamas. His talk centered on being part of a team. He’s a graduate of St. Albert the Great, La Salle High School and Chestnut Hill College, where he was a captain on the basketball team. He’s a lawyer who once had an internship in the Philadelphia district attorney’s office, starting when Kelley Hodge was DA in 2017 and continuing when Krasner took over in 2018. “I wasn’t hired by Larry Krasner.” Dougherty worked for the public defender’s office before running for the 172nd district seat. He wants to increase school funding and good union jobs, support policies to reduce crime and promised to “stand up to Larry Krasner.” He declared himself a member of “Team Women’s Reproductive Freedom” and “Team Northeast Philadelphia.”
• White is unopposed. She voted for the impeachment of Larry Krasner, said she has no opinion on the proposed UPS center on Red Lion Road and said she’s voted for bills in support of better-paying jobs, public education funding, school choice, infrastructure and ways to lower the number of crimes with guns. She does not want to leave kids trapped in failing schools, citing the 31 percent of third-graders in the School District of Philadelphia who read at grade level. She said she does not understand how Democrats can support vouchers for food and housing but not for schools. “It’s laughable.” She said Democrats in the state House have introduced a “radical” bill that would lead to taxpayer-funded, on-demand, full-term abortions. She likened the bill to one signed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee. ••
