Philadelphia elected officials could be allowed to keep their existing jobs if they decide to run for state or federal office under legislation that was approved by City Council on Thursday.
The resign-to-run rule, which requires city officials to step down from their positions before they can launch a campaign for a new role, has been in place since the Home Rule Charter was adopted in 1951. The new bill, which passed with a 15-1 vote, would remove that requirement for all elected officials, except the mayor, who seek office outside Philadelphia government.
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The decision of whether to change the longstanding rule will now be put forth as a ballot question in the May election.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas (D-At-Large) first proposed the legislation in the fall. He later amended it to exclude city employees running for elected office and added language to say that candidates could not appear on the ballot twice — so an elected official couldn’t run for reelection and another seat at the same time. The resignation requirement would still be in place for local officials running for mayor, district attorney or row office positions.
Local politicians have tried and failed to change resign-to-run on three separate occasions. Voters rejected repealing the rule in 2007 and 2014, and a bill in 2020 was never voted out of City Council.
This time around, Thomas thinks the change will appeal more to voters as it’s a different political climate both locally and nationally. He thinks the congressional race to replace U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans (D-3rd) has “created an appetite for legislation like this,” although it’s too late for this bill to impact that race.
“When I think about the fact that people have an opportunity to put the best possible candidate forward from Philadelphia to represent Philadelphia across the entire commonwealth, as well as possibly in D.C., I think this time will be different because I think people will … recognize the importance of these elections that are on the horizon,” Thomas said.
The impact of resign-to-run was most recently felt ahead of the 2023 mayoral race. At that time, six of council’s 17 members resigned to throw their hat in that race: Democrats Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Cherelle Parker and Republican David Oh. Rebecca Rhynhart left her role as city controller to put her name on the ballot as well. Out of those seven candidates, only Parker currently holds an elected position.
Should voters approve May’s ballot question, Thomas said he plans to work with the city’s Board of Ethics for additional legislation related to the measure, such as guidelines for what elected officials can do for their campaign during the hours they’re expected to be at their current city job. The Board of Ethics released a series of recommendations for the legislation in December, and Thomas said he agrees with most of them.
“Anybody who believes in democracy, anybody who wants the best for Philadelphia, there’s nothing wrong with having a few more options when it comes to these important elections that are coming down the pipe,” Thomas said.