GOP Straw Poll Goes Against Local Party Picks

The Pennsylvania Republican Party today released results of a straw poll conducted Saturday in Philadelphia of City Republican Committee members who were asked who they support for City Council at-large and for the Philadelphia City Commission.  The results were a serious departure from the local GOP leadership selections from last month.

David Oh, an attorney who came very close to winning a City Council at-large seat four years ago, was the overwhelming pick in the straw poll, with 82 percent.  Oh was not chosen by the party's selection committee last month but squeaked by with the endorsement when ward leaders gathered to vote on Feb. 15.

The other winners in the at-large field -- voters were told to chose five -- were state Rep. Denny O'Brien (53 percent), Equality Forum head Malcolm Lazin (46 percent), former congressional candidate Joe McColgan (44 percent) and Corbett for Governor campaign staffer John Giordano (42 percent).  O'Brien did not win the local party endorsement last month while Lazin, McColgan and Giordano did.

City Councilman Frank Rizzo, with 18 percent, tied for last place with Al Taubenberger, the party's nominee in 2007 for mayor. Rizzo did not win the local endorsement last month but Taubenberger did.

In the race for City Commissioner, former state party official Al Schmidt took 96 percent of the support while Marie Delaney, who runs a facility for homeless women in Northeast Philly, took 38 percent.  Voters were asked to select two candidates.  Incumbent Commissioner Joe Duda could only muster 1 percent while Jim Mugford received no votes.  Duda and Mugford won the local party endorsement last month.

You can read the state party's news release, with a full list of candidates and comments from state GOP chairman Rob Gleason, here.