Undecided city voters relying on last-minute research - and grandma

William Wooden is a Philadelphia resident and registered voter. With two weeks until the mayoral primary election, he has no idea whom he is voting for.

He is not alone.

Like most of a dozen people interviewed during the lunch hour Monday at Dilworth Park, Wooden didn't know much about the candidates - even their names.

Wooden said he had seen the television ads for a female candidate who said she would sue the state for not providing enough money for the schools. That would be Lynne M. Abraham, the former district attorney.

As a South Philadelphian, Wooden said, he recognized the name James Kenney, but didn't know much about him.

Anthony Williams? "I've never heard of him."

So how will Wooden, a bike courier, decide who to vote for?

"My grandma will call and tell me," Wooden said. His two colleagues - Emanuel Lewis, 30, of Southwest Philadelphia, and Adam Moore, 26, of West Philadelphia - laughed and nodded in agreement.

The trio were soaking up some sun late Monday morning.

The men, who are black, joked that their grandmothers would probably tell them to vote for "the black candidate." But Lewis said he might be disagreeing with Grandma.

"Maybe it's time we have a white mayor," Lewis said. "What have we gotten from Street and Nutter?"

Nevertheless, the couriers said they would try to do some research on their own before the election. In the meantime, what would they want to ask the candidates?

"Why is everything else getting built up, but schools and libraries are closing?" Wooden said. "What would you do to address schools and libraries?"

Across Dilworth Park, Katherine Mahoney was playing in the fountains with her 3-year-old son, Finnian.

The Bella Vista mother said she was initially interested in Abraham because of her long history in the city. But then a Kenney volunteer knocked on her door recently and told her that Kenney has the best education agenda.

"Fixing the schools, that's important to me," she said, pointing to her son, splashing through the Dilworth fountains. She said she isn't committed to either candidate.

Then there was Richard Gray, 55, a North Philadelphia resident, who was also unsure of his vote. By this time eight years ago, Gray said, he already knew he was voting for Michael Nutter.

"I'm still trying to get a real feel" for the candidates and their platforms, especially their economic plans, Gray said.

Job creation is Gray's biggest concern. He is looking for work and was most recently a temp at a law firm.

If he could ask one question of the mayoral candidates, it would be: "How would you go about job creation and eliminating poverty?"