A student voter's guide to the primary election

While you may still be recovering from the 2024 general election, Philadelphia’s May 20 primary election is already upon us. Here is a guide to this primary that will tell you the election’s who, what, when and where.

When and Where:

Let us start with when you can vote. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. If you get in line before 8 p.m., you are entitled to vote even if you cannot cast your ballot before then. So if you get in line, stay in line until you can vote!

To find out where you will be voting, you can check by going to www.pavoterservices.pa.gov. You must be a registered member of a political party to vote for its candidates in a primary, but registered voters of any affiliation can vote on the ballot questions.

Who is on the ballot?

District Attorney:

The district attorney is the top prosecutor for the city. The DA represents the government in criminal cases and, generally, represents the people of Philadelphia in prosecuting alleged criminals. Philadelphia has the fourth-largest criminal justice system in the country, so this is a critical position that sets the tone for how Philadelphia deals with crime.

Larry Krasner:

The progressive Democratic incumbent is seeking his third consecutive term in office. Krasner’s tenure has been defined by his efforts to reform the Philadelphia criminal justice system, becoming a polarizing figure on the national stage of politics.

Over his eight years in office, Krasner oversaw a massive spike in violent crime during the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a precipitous drop in crime. 2024 saw the lowest number of homicides since 2014, and 2025 is on track to see even fewer homicides and violent crime. Krasner highlights this statistic, saying that Philadelphians are “safer and freer” after his eight years in office.

According to Krasner’s website, his platform consists of ending mass incarceration, focusing on serious crimes, standing up for Philadelphians’ rights and liberties and standing up to the Trump administration.

Patrick Dugan:

A Democratic challenger to Krasner, Dugan is a military veteran and served as a municipal court judge for 17 years. Dugan has received a tougher-on-crime label. While he still has a focus on crime diversion, Dugan promises to seek the maximum penalty for violent offenses.

Dugan similarly wants to reform the criminal justice system in Philadelphia. However, he has promised to be tougher on offenses such as retail theft and violent crimes, saying Krasner has been too lenient.

Dugan’s platform consists of localizing the DA’s office into six geographic districts, returning the DA’s office to 100% capacity, holding criminals accountable, investing in community programs to support crime diversion, holding prosecutors responsible and focusing on prosecuting “high-priority” offenders.

City Controller:

The City Controller operates as an independent auditor of the city’s fiscal activities. Their goal is to ensure proper and effective use of city funds.

Christy Brady:

The lone Democrat on the ballot, Brady has been serving as controller since Nov. 2022. Brady’s priorities for the next term are to take down the “underground economy.” This refers to the practice of developers hiring construction crews that are labeled as contractors and paying them in cash under the table. Brady believes this leads to hazardous end products and dangerous work sites. Brady also wants to bring efficiency to the contracting process with the City of Philadelphia.

Ari Patrinos:

Running unopposed on the Republican ticket, Patrinos has a platform of reducing taxes, cutting superfluous regulations, and supporting small businesses.

Judge of the Superior Court:

The Superior Court is one tier below the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in authority. The Superior Court handles appeals from civil and criminal cases coming from lower courts.

Brandon Neuman:

The lone Democrat, Neuman is a former member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives where he authored legislation to increase accessibility to rape kits. Neuman is “highly recommended” by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Maria Battista:

Battista, a Republican, is not recommended by the Philadelphia Bar Association because she is not a participant in its rating process. There is very little information regarding her platform on her website.

Ann Marie Whitecraft:

A Republican, Whitecraft has served as a Common Pleas judge, supervising Chester County’s treatment courts for drug, recovery, mental health, and veterans’ cases. The Pennsylvania Bar Association “highly recommended” Wheatcraft due to her “excellent character and undisputed integrity.”

Commonwealth Court:

The Commonwealth Court is responsible for cases involving state and local governments and regulatory agencies. Its Judges serve initial 10-year terms, then face a nonpartisan retention vote after that. Judges are eligible for the court until they turn 75 years old.

Stella Tsai:

Tsai is unopposed on the Democratic ballot. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School. Tsai is running on a platform of “safeguarding voting rights, immigrant rights, and civil rights.” Tsai comes highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Matthew Wolford:

A Republican, Wolford’s platform consists of “defending clients against government enforcement actions and helping clients work through complex regulatory challenges and fighting for private property rights.” Wolford was endorsed by the Pennsylvania Republican Party and comes highly recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association.

Joshua Prince:

Prince is a Republican who has made his name by catering to the far-right corner of the party. Prince has been active in litigation aimed at opposing gun regulations. Prince is not recommended by the Pennsylvania Bar Association, as they found he “lacks the depth and breadth of experience and preparation necessary to take on the commanding role of judge on the Commonwealth Court.”

Judge of the Court of Common Pleas:

The Court of Common Pleas serves as a trial court that handles civil and criminal cases. Voters can choose up to nine candidates for this primary.

Democrat:

Republican: There are no Republicans on the ballot.

Judge of the Court of the Municipal Court:

There are 27 judges on the Municipal Court. This court is the bottom rung of the city’s justice department, handling minor civil and criminal cases, as well as traffic offenses. Voters can select three candidates on their ballot.

Democrat:

Republican: There are no Republicans on the ballot.

Ballot Questions:

There are three questions on the ballot this election. If approved, these initiatives will be adopted into Philadelphia’s Home Rule Charter, essentially the city’s constitution.

Question #1:

“Should the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create the Office of Homeless Services Ombudsperson to assist residents experiencing homelessness, help provide fair access to essential resources, improve quality of life in the shelter system, investigate client complaints, and provide oversight and recommendations to the City’s providers of homeless services?”

Voting “yes” would implement an ombudsperson – essentially an advocate – to support people experiencing homelessness. The office could investigate the city’s Office of Homeless Services. Positions like this exist in other major cities, including New York City, Washington D.C. and San Diego.

If a person experiencing homelessness were experiencing inhumane conditions in a shelter, the ombudsperson’s role would be to advocate on their behalf.

Question #2:

“Should the Home Rule Charter be amended to increase the minimum amount that must be appropriated for spending on Housing Trust Fund purposes in the City’s operating budget each year?”

Voting “yes” would allocate more money towards programs designed to build and maintain affordable housing. There is a mechanism in Philadelphia by which developers can navigate relaxed regulations on real estate development so long as they include a certain number of affordable units or make a payment to the city’s Housing Trust Fund.

This trust fund generated $43 million from 2019 to 2023, and it is used to support families at risk of homelessness and produce and maintain affordable housing. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier proposed this initiative as she alleged that the trust fund was being spent on things other than affordable housing.

This initiative is opposed by the Parker administration.

Question #3: “Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of an independent Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight and to further authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the Board and Office?”

Voting “yes” to this initiative will create an oversight board for the Philadelphia prison system, which has been much maligned. The nine-person board would be in charge of increasing transparency and conducting investigations.

Four of the board members would be appointed by the mayor, four by the City Council president, and one by the city controller. They must be city residents who do not work for the prisons, Sheriff’s Office or the police department, and at least one member must have been previously incarcerated.

A student voter’s guide to the primary election

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