Though Williams says he rejects the racial math of Philadelphia politics – white voters support white candidates, black voters support black candidates – his supporters are clearly counting on it.
As the Democratic primary contest for mayor of Philadelphia enters its final month, the conventional wisdom has State Sen. Anthony H. Williams as the front-runner.
Williams and his supporters, however, are discernibly discomfited about the mayor’s race.
The thinking goes:
Williams, an African American, will outpace the primary’s two other top-tier candidates – both white – with a wave of support from black voters.
Former District Attorney Lynne M. Abraham’s strong name recognition won’t sustain her campaign if she lacks the financial resources of the outside groups supporting Williams and former City Councilman Jim Kenney.
Kenney’s considerable campaign momentum and overwhelming union support won’t be enough to defeat a unified black vote.
The other candidates – former State Sen. T. Milton Street Sr., former Common Pleas Court Judge Nelson A. Diaz, and former PGW executive Doug Oliver – will only nibble around the edges of the vote.
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