Too-Close-To-Call Race In 2nd District Turns Trashy

Oh my.  We knew the too-close-to-call nature of the Democratic primary election for City Council's 2nd District was getting tense.  It just got trashy.  Real estate broker Barbara Capozzi, who trails state Rep. Kenyatta Johnson by 72 votes in the race, just sent out an email with a picture of her cleaning up Johnson's block.

Capozzi's campaign added a line when the email was sent to reporters, declaring that Johnson's block is "one of the filthiest blocks in the city." Also this: "Barbara is ready to clean the campaign up with a WIN, and the City too."

The real point of the email seemed to be fishing for election day hijinks that could be used to contest the election results once the Philadelphia City Commission completes its official vote count, which starts tomorrow and will stretch into next week.

The email contained a Flickr link to more photos.  After the jump, you can read Capozzi's email.

"Now is the time to respect the will of the voters, not engage in the sort of personal, political attacks Capozzi favored throughout the campaign. I can only hope that this campaign stunt wasn't a one-time effort and that she'll continue to find ways to stay involved and work with Kenyatta after he's sworn in as the next councilman from the 2nd District."

DEAR LOYAL SUPPORTERS,

The Second Council primary race is 'too close to call' with only a handful of votes separating me from my main opponent. The final results are not in yet and all legal measures will be taken to ensure that the Second Council District has the honest representation that it so deeply deserves. I am extremely proud of the honest, clean campaign that we and our many supporters waged. Your hard work and efforts have been truly inspirational during these last final moments before the decision is aired.

We are optimistic for a positive outcome, and have hired two attorneys to oversee the final vote count process including absentee ballot count. The final results may not be decided for at least another week. We are collecting information regarding any observations of irregularities at the polls. Please send an email of details, time, place and description of any abnormal activity you experienced in the 2nd District to bc@capozziforcouncil.com.

We are asking for your help to raise funds to see the campaign through to victory. We vow to continue to ensure a fair election process for the people of the Second District. Please consider donating online for the very last time, to see this through to a win!

Thank you for your support as always, and let's win this thing!

Barbara Capozzi