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State Rep. Chris Rabb will more than likely replace U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in January. The self-styled progressive benefitted from political endorsements from the left and a grassroots ground game by local progressive groups such as the Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America and the Working Families Party.
Rabb appeared emotional as he took the stage at the Victorian Banquet Hall in the city’s Germantown neighborhood.
“I have been critiqued along this campaign for being too radical, being too bold. They ain’t seen nothing yet.” he said. “This is just the beginning because I see you. I see you. I know what we’re capable of. I see your beauty. I see your power.”
Rabb garnered about 45% of the vote. His closest rival, early favorite state Sen. Sharif Street, fell far behind with less than 30%.
Street conceded to Rabb around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night, saying his campaign could not match Rabb’s strong support from progressive voters.
“This is a wake-up call for some of us,” he told supporters gathered at his watch party, held at a union hall in North Philadelphia.
“Let’s just be honest, there was the movement that gave birth to the victory today, called themselves ‘Reclaim,’ and they wanted to reclaim their party. Perhaps we need to reclaim our communities and get a little bit more engaged and a little bit more involved,” he said.
Street also acknowledged third-place candidate Ala Stanford, who benefited from millions in PAC funding and early television commercials.
“We didn’t have the millions of dollars of TV ads that the others had,” he said. “We did have people power, we did inspire lots of folks, we did it in a grassroots way.”
Stanford thanked her supporters at a watch party at the North Philadelphia Welcome Center, saying she would “continue to be hopeful for the people in Philadelphia.”
“For the young folks, and especially for the women that believed so much in what we were doing, do not be discouraged,” she said.
“You might shed a tear tonight, but tomorrow, joy will come because we all have a purpose and we all have a passion and we all have a promise for the next generation.”
Rabb’s resume
A Philadelphia native, Rabb previously worked as an aide to Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and served on the White House Conference on Small Business during the Clinton administration. He later became a researcher and educator focusing on social entrepreneurship and wrote the book “Invisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity.”
He ran for a seat in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2016 and won, representing Northwest Philadelphia for the last 10 years. There, he built a reputation as an outspoken advocate for racial justice, economic equity, public education and government reform, though some other Democrats have criticized him for being combative.
Many voters in the district said that Rabb was the kind of fighter they want to meet the current political era.
“The Democratic Party has not been strong enough in fighting against Trump’s authoritarian and really unjust policies and practices,” said Rachel Mattson just after she voted for Rabb in Garden Court, West Philly. “I’m really disappointed in the Democratic Party and I really think we need strong courageous democratic leadership in Washington.”
