— how Philadelphia politics, government, unions & institutions work

Politics and Elections

From the Philadelphia Civic Wiki, the free guide to how the city works

Parties, wards, elections, campaign money, ethics oversight, and documented corruption cases.

Articles (21)

  • Philadelphia Political History — How Philadelphia moved from Republican machine rule to the 1951 reform charter, Democratic dominance, and today's contest between party organization and insurgent progressives.
  • Mayors of Philadelphia Timeline — Chronological list of Philadelphia mayors since the 1951 Home Rule Charter, with terms, parties and notable events of each administration.
  • Political Parties in Philadelphia — Overview of the Democratic, Republican and minor parties in Philadelphia, party registration, closed primaries, and how party organization works at the ward level.
  • Democratic City Committee — The Philadelphia Democratic Party's governing body of ward leaders and committee members, led since 1986 by Bob Brady, and its role in endorsements and elections.
  • Republican City Committee — The Philadelphia Republican Party organization: its ward structure, history from machine to minority party, recent chairs, and role in minority-seat Council races.
  • Ward Leaders and Committeepersons — How Philadelphia's elected party committee people and ward leaders are chosen, what they do, and how residents can run for the lowest-level elected office in the city.
  • Council Districts and Wards — Explains how Philadelphia's ten Council districts, 66 wards and roughly 1,700 voting divisions overlap, who draws them, and why the difference matters for residents.
  • Elections in Philadelphia — How Philadelphia runs elections: the election calendar, who administers them, offices on the ballot, and recent turnout in the 2025 and 2026 elections.
  • Voter Registration and Mail Voting — Practical guide to registering to vote in Philadelphia, mail ballot deadlines, ID rules, and the litigation over ballot-envelope dating as of 2026.
  • Running for Office in Philadelphia — Practical overview of qualifications, nominating petitions, the Charter's resign-to-run rule, and campaign finance obligations for people seeking Philadelphia public office.
  • Campaign Finance in Philadelphia — City contribution limits, reporting rules, self-funding doubling, super PAC spending and Board of Ethics enforcement in Philadelphia elections, with 2023 mayoral race figures.
  • Board of Ethics — Philadelphia's independent Board of Ethics: its powers over ethics rules, campaign finance, lobbying and financial disclosure, how complaints work, and notable disputes.
  • Office of the Inspector General — Philadelphia's Office of the Inspector General investigates fraud, waste and misconduct in mayoral agencies and city contracting; learn its history, powers and how to report.
  • Conflicts of Interest and Pay-to-Play — What conflicts of interest and pay-to-play mean in Philadelphia government, which laws and bodies address them, and how city contracting rules try to prevent them.
  • Political Corruption Cases in Philadelphia — Summary of documented public-record political corruption and election-fraud prosecutions involving Philadelphia officials, with charges, verdicts and outcomes stated neutrally.
  • Progressive and Grassroots Politics — Overview of Philadelphia's progressive and grassroots political organizations, including Reclaim Philadelphia, the Working Families Party and DSA, and their electoral track record through 2026.
  • Political Action Committees and Big Money — How PACs, super PACs, unions and self-funders shape Philadelphia elections, the legal limits on coordination, and examples from the 2023 mayoral race.
  • Philadelphia Congressional and State Delegation — Who represents Philadelphia in Congress, the Pennsylvania Senate and House, and how to contact them; includes the 2026 open seat in the 3rd Congressional District.
  • Ballot Questions and Charter Changes — How Philadelphia voters amend the Home Rule Charter through ballot questions, with the 2025 and 2026 primary measures and the role of Council in placing them on the ballot.
  • Right-to-Know Law and Public Records — How Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law lets residents request Philadelphia government records, the five-business-day response clock, exemptions, and the appeals process.
  • Sunshine Act and Open Meetings — Explains Pennsylvania's Sunshine Act: which Philadelphia boards must meet in public, notice rules, executive session limits, public comment rights and how to challenge violations.

See also the Department Directory, the full index and the Main Page.