Pennsylvania's richest man is trying to thwart this AOC-backed candidate for Philadelphia mayor
New campaign finance reports reveal that Republican mega-donor Jeff Yass, a charter schools advocate who is the wealthiest man in Pennsylvania, is the principal funder behind the attack ads being leveled at former Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym ahead of the May 16 Democratic primary for mayor―a race that’s now the most expensive in city history.
Yass is responsible for $750,000 of the $1 million raised by a PAC called Coalition for Safety and Equitable Growth, which has run negative ads against Gym while ignoring her intraparty rivals. And this isn’t the only Democratic primary that Yass, a registered libertarian who lives outside city limits, is interested in, as he’s also aiding an effort to help business-aligned candidates for city council.
Gym’s team previously insinuated that Yass was financing the offensive against their candidate, who has the backing of the American Federation of Teachers and prominent national progressives like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, though it's only now that we have confirmation.
There’s no word if the billionaire, who has donated over $55 million to support Republicans in federal elections, has a favorite candidate in the contest to succeed termed-out incumbent Jim Kenney, though supporters of two other contenders have made contributions to the same PAC. The Laborers District Council, which is pulling for former city council member Cherelle Parker, chipped in $25,000, while former Mayor Michael Nutter, who is backing former city controller Rebecca Rhynhart, contributed $3,100.
Kenney himself said Monday that he had voted for Parker while still insisting, “I’m not endorsing anyone publicly. I don’t think it’s right for any old mayor to be endorsing anybody, in truth.” Kenney said of Parker, who would be the first Black woman to hold the post, “I think she has the ability to lead the city forward, and honestly I think it’s time for a woman of color.” (Gym, who is Asian American, would also achieve this distinction in a city that has yet to elect a woman mayor.) But Parker’s campaign seems to be just fine to treat Kenney's vote as anything other than an endorsement, as a spokesperson didn’t even comment when asked about the news.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/9/2168147/-Pennsylvania-s-richest-man-is-trying-to-thwart-this-AOC-backed-candidate-for-Philadelphia-mayor
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