It’s primary day. Get out and vote. | Endorsement
The Editorial Board offers its recommendations on the best choice for voters in contested races.
Primary day is today — Tuesday, May 16.
Prior to each election, The Inquirer Editorial Board, which operates independently from the newsroom, identifies races in which an endorsement can help readers determine where candidates stand on issues and why we think voters should support (or oppose) a particular candidate.
We firmly believe that all elections are important, and the board works to provide as much guidance for Inquirer readers as we can. We typically limit our endorsements to highly competitive races and local ballot questions. This means that, unfortunately, we did not offer endorsements in many races. A lack of an endorsement is not a judgment by the board on the significance of any office or race.
We thoroughly research the candidates’ backgrounds, including a review of the published work of our newsroom colleagues, and additional reporting by the members of the board.
The board hosts meetings with candidates running in contested races, where we ask them about their stance on the issues we think are most important to their constituents. This year, we held virtual meetings with them on Zoom. The meetings are on the record, and political reporters and editors are invited to participate, but they do not weigh in on the endorsement process.
Here are the board’s recommendations:
Philadelphia Mayor
7th Council District
8th Council District
9th Council District
City Council At Large — Democrat
Register of Wills
Sheriff
City Controller
Philadelphia Ballot Questions
Pa. Supreme Court — Democrat
Pa. Supreme Court — Republican
Central Bucks School Board
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners — Democrat
Montgomery County Board of Commissioners — Republican