Philadelphia Democratic Party loyalists celebrate resurgence of party machine

NORTH WILDWOOD — With an eight-piece band on stage, a view of the ocean outside, an open bar, and a buffet, hundreds of Philadelphia elected officials, Democratic ward leaders and other politicos gathered Saturday at a Jersey Shore bar for Brady Bash, an annual party hosted by the longtime chair of the Democratic City Committee, Bob Brady.

Much of Philadelphia’s political establishment heads down the Atlantic City Expressway for the summer, and Democratic Party loyalists had a lot to celebrate while down the Shore this year.

After several election cycles that saw progressives and other antiestablishment challengers pull off upsets, the party just about ran the table in May’s Democratic primary, and many in attendance Saturday were talking about the November elections for City Council, which are shaping up to be the next clash between the machine and the more left-leaning insurgents.

Alan Butkovitz, a ward leader and former city controller, said the crowd at The Inlet North Wildwood was larger than usual due to the party’s resurgence.

“There’s a sense that Brady and the party won the primary,” he said.

» READ MORE: Three incumbents and two newcomers lead in Democratic at-large City Council primary

The success of this year’s party-backed candidates, who for the most part are political moderates unlikely to break the mold in City Hall, represented a pause in the growth of Philly’s progressive movement and also kept a slate of real estate- and business community-aligned Council candidates on the sidelines.

Whether the City Committee continues its winning streak will determine whether recent wins by antiestablishment candidates are seen as a flash in the pan or the beginning of the end for the traditional machine, with its neighborhood-based ward leaders, dynastic political organizations, and backroom-dealmaking style of politics.

The Democratic Party effectively pulled off a clean sweep in this year’s highly competitive Council at-large primary. A ward leader, John Sabatina Sr., defeated incumbent Register of Wills Tracy Gordon, whose shocking victory four years ago loosened the political establishment’s grip on her office’s patronage jobs. And Cherelle Parker, the clear favorite of Brady and dozens of ward leaders, won the Democratic nomination for mayor.

“There was a thought that maybe with TV and persuasion, the party was out of the game,” Butkovitz said, differentiating the campaign tactics of some challengers from the party’s methods, such as distributing sample ballots. “There were so many victories this time that people don’t think it was chance.”

Parker, who made a brief appearance and gave the only speech of the event, thanked the crowd for their support in the primary, when she emerged from a large field and bested more liberal candidates in what turned out to be the most expensive election in Philadelphia history.

“Mr. Chairman, I say to you, and to each and everyone of you who are out here, the only way that someone like me, who comes from humble beginnings, who’s not born into wealth” can be elected mayor “is because you believed in me,” Parker said.

Brady Bash tickets cost $50, and the party sold more than 500, said John Brady, the party’s executive director, who is not related to Bob Brady. A smaller group of sponsors, including Parker’s campaign and the building trades unions, gave $1,000 each.

Brady, a former U.S. representative who has been City Committee chair since 1986, said the party almost never makes money on the event, which is now in its 27th year.

“We’re not trying to. The purpose is to get together and have fun,” he said. “It’s a fun spot. It’s very, very reasonable. You get all you can eat, all you can drink, and the food is good, not bad.”

As for the location, Brady said, “North Wildwood is the Philadelphia Riviera.”

The event has turned into an all-weekend affair for some, with Sabatina hosting a “low-country boil” after-party at his home in Wildwood Crest and City Commissioner Lisa Deeley hosting a brunch the day after at Keenan’s in North Wildwood.

The crowd at Brady’s party included City Councilmembers Curtis Jones Jr., Mike Driscoll, and Mark Squilla, who have all said they are running to be the next Council president. It also included state lawmakers, judges, and political consultants.

But not all who attended are viewed as part of the party establishment. Progressive Councilmember Jamie Gauthier was there, as were committee people from liberal wards that often stray from Brady’s will.

There were even several Republicans, including Council candidate Drew Murray. Murray and fellow GOP nominee Jim Hasher are running against two candidates from the progressive Working Families Party, Nicolas O’Rourke and incumbent Kendra Brooks, for two Council at-large seats that are reserved for members of minority parties or independents.

The race, one of the few competitive elections on the November ballot, was a frequent topic of discussion at Brady Bash in part because the Working Families Party has repeatedly clashed with the Democratic establishment as it attempts to shift the center of Philadelphia’s political spectrum to the left.

Some allies of the Working Families Party have accused the relatively moderate Democratic machine of preferring Republicans to progressives. Murray and Republican City Commissioner Seth Bluestein’s attendance will likely add to that narrative.

“Kendra and Nic were campaigning in Philadelphia at multiple community events this weekend talking about their plans for working families,” Working Families Party spokesperson Eric Rosso said. “Our campaigns aren’t worried about gossip coming out of a political insider event with one of our opponents in attendance. Many Democrats support our efforts to elect two Black progressive champions to City Council this fall.”

» READ MORE: Republicans are appealing a ruling keeping WFP candidates on the City Council ballot

For his part, Murray said that he attended Brady Bash because he is a former Democrat and a centrist Republican who hopes to work across the aisle if elected.

“I’m my own person. I’m here to say hi to friends,” he said. “The progressives did not do well in the primary. Most people understand the need for balance on City Council.”

Shortly after the primary, Brady sent a chest-thumping letter to Democratic ward leaders saying they could face sanctions if they endorse anyone in the Council at-large race who is not one of the Democratic nominees, a thinly veiled shot at the Working Families Party, which could benefit from endorsements from the handful of wards controlled by progressives.

Parker, who is seen as a centrist, has not previously played a public role in the dynamic between the Democratic City Committee and the Working Families Party. But in her remarks, Parker noted that she, as the Democratic leader of the 50th Ward in Northwest Philadelphia, received Brady’s letter.

“I’m also a ward leader. I got the letter,” she told the crowd. “The 50th Ward is going to abide by the rules, Mr. Chairman.”