Chris Rabb in the Democratic primary for Pa. 3rd Congressional District | Endorsement

At one point, it seemed like the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District would become a chaotic free-for-all. A dozen or so candidates threw their hats in the ring after U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans announced his retirement after almost a decade in the House of Representatives.

As the race nears the finish line, however, the field looks remarkably traditional.

There is the establishment favorite, State Sen. Sharif Street; the progressive challenger, State Rep. Chris Rabb; and the intriguing outsider, pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford. Attorney Shaun Griffith is also on the ballot.

While all three major contenders have their strengths, The Inquirer Editorial Board recommends voters choose Chris Rabb.

The founding member of the Pennsylvania Progressive Caucus has the necessary experience to take on the role, having represented parts of Northwest Philadelphia in the General Assembly since 2017. He also has the fire, passion, and conviction people are looking for in the current political climate.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker may have moderated her criticism of President Donald Trump and his administration out of a desire to maintain a good working relationship, but the city’s congressional delegation does not have a similar need to liaise with Trump-appointed leaders at agencies like the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development, or the FBI.

From the Iran war to healthcare, from climate to affordability, and from housing to immigration, Rabb has consistently offered the boldest and most ambitious leadership. He also has a welcome history of working outside the local Democratic machine.

While his rivals tout big endorsements, Rabb has always relied on persuading voters. That’s a welcome change from business as usual in Philadelphia. Too often, political seats are passed down like inheritances. In some cases, incumbents even retire early to give their preferred successor a leg up on the competition.

Rabb, 56, has never been a part of this kind of politics and has even foregone the option to run for both the congressional seat and his current position in the General Assembly at the same time, choosing to focus his attention on Washington alone.

He also has experience outside of politics. Before serving as a state representative, Rabb taught classes in entrepreneurship and worked in business development.

Street is very measured and mild-mannered, which may come as a surprise to Philadelphians who are more familiar with his father, former Mayor John F. Street, and his uncle, State Sen. Milton Street. Their more confrontational style (the mayor once got into a fistfight on the floor of City Council) contrasts with Street the adept diplomat — a skill that is more useful in Harrisburg, where he currently serves, than in Washington.

As frustrating as the endless debate over state funding of education and transportation can be, it is also the kind of thing democracies are supposed to argue over. In Washington, however, fundamental democratic values are under attack.

The White House has engaged the country in an illegal war against Iran, threatened to invade Greenland and Canada, and unleashed brutal and incompetent federal immigration agents on communities across the country. There’s no diplomatic way to handle this situation. The moment calls for a pugnacious presence.

Stanford is also a mismatch for the job.

The nation is truly indebted to her work with the COVID-19 Black Doctors Consortium during the pandemic, and for her years of service in pediatric medicine. At the same time, Stanford does not seem ready to make the transition from medicine to politics.

Although Stanford has clearly learned a lot while on the campaign trail, she also seems to struggle with the public scrutiny that is an inevitable part of the job. During a meeting with this board, Stanford lamented that criticism lobbed at her by Rabb had resulted in harassment and death threats. While threats are unacceptable, they are sadly part and parcel of life in politics. Both Street and Rabb attested to having dealt with the same.

Stanford particularly struggled over American support for the war in Gaza, a position that puts her out of step with the majority of Democrats, who believe Israel committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Stanford went further than simply disagreeing with that assessment. She compared “the G-word” to “the N-word,” and said genocide should only be used to refer to the systematic murder of six million Jews by the Nazis.

While this board shares her antipathy toward vulgarity — and it is important to avoid engaging in antisemitism while criticizing the behavior of Israel’s government — it must be clearly stated that the word genocide is not a slur. It is a phenomenon that has happened throughout history, to groups of many faiths and nationalities. It includes not only the Holocaust, but also the fledgling Republic of Turkey’s killing of Armenians, Assyrians, and other minorities, the slaughter of 8,000 Muslim Bosnians in Srebrenica at the hands of Serbian nationalists, and the campaign of Rwandan Hutu extremists to kill minority Tutsis.

Given the makeup of the electorate, the 3rd Congressional District, which reaches from South Philadelphia to Chestnut Hill, is a Democratic stronghold. Primary voters are lucky to have highly skilled candidates vying to represent them. But as the contender who will best represent the interests of his constituents, the Editorial Board endorses Chris Rabb.