Meet Republican Drew Murray, an ex-Democrat running for Philly City Council

Drew Murray says that people called him a “DINO” when he was a Democrat, and now his critics say he’s a “RINO” as a Republican. Whether he’s actually a ”Republican In Name Only” or not, he likes that he doesn’t pass an ideological purity test on either side.

“It means I can think for myself,” he said.

Murray, 50, a Center City civic leader who became a Republican in 2018, is running for Philadelphia City Council and hoping to win one of seven at-large seats for members who represent the entire city. Voters in November can select up to five candidates, meaning the five Democrats on the ballot are considered all-but-certain to win given the party’s enormous voter registration advantage in the city.

That leaves Republicans fighting the progressive Working Families Party for the final two seats. The GOP held both for decades until 2019, when Working Families Party candidate Kendra Brooks won a seat on Council. She’s up for reelection this year and running alongside pastor Nicolas O’Rourke.

Murray’s running mate is Jim Hasher, a real estate broker and restaurant owner.

Here’s what to know about Murray:

Murray said a large swath of residents are frustrated with the state of the city and are craving “more balance on Council,” saying that as a self-described moderate, he is “exactly what the city wants right now.”

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He also said that as a former Center City neighborhood association leader, he’s well-versed in housing, development, business growth, and the delivery of city services. On the campaign trail, Murray is emphasizing quality-of-life issues and public safety.

This year’s race is Murray’s third run for Council. He ran unsuccessfully in 2019, and then again in a special election last fall alongside Hasher — a race both considered to be something of a dress rehearsal for this year’s general election.

Murray said the top three issues facing the city are “crime, crime, and crime.”

“Everyone is feeling this crime wave all around the city,” he said. “Whether it’s people stealing from Rite Aid, or illegal ATVs going up and down the Parkway, or our murder totals are still very high.”

He said while it’s challenging to “legislate yourself out of crime,” he intends to work closely with law enforcement leaders to “have culpability in this city again.” Murray, like many Republicans, has been critical of progressive District Attorney Larry Krasner, but he vowed he’d aim to find compromise with the DA if elected to Council.

“Whether I agree with the DA or not, I need to work with him,” he said. “He wants to reduce crime. We both want the same thing, we just have vastly different ideas on how to get here. I’m not going to put all the blame on one person.”

A native of Villanova, Murray has lived in Center City for nearly two decades. He lives with his wife and two teenage daughters, and he works in sales at a Conshohocken-based storage firm. He’s the ex-president of the Logan Square Neighborhood, and he formerly led the Crosstown Coalition, a conglomerate of community and neighborhood associations.

Fun fact: He and his wife, Kristy, both drive Mini Coopers. His is red; hers is blue.

Murray said he considers himself “pro-business and pro-development.” He said he sees development as “paramount to the future of Philadelphia” and thinks the city needs to more aggressively promote business growth.

Taxes: He favors continued reductions of the wage and business taxes. He believes the city should reduce and, over time, eliminate taxes on sweetened beverages and the gross revenue portion of the city’s business tax structure. He would also support waiving the real estate transfer tax for first-time home buyers. Murray said he believes a more pro-business posture would result in a larger tax base over years and that service cuts would not be necessary to fund tax reductions.

Public safety: Murray said he is “pro law enforcement” and would focus his efforts legislatively on recruiting and retaining officers to fill hundreds of open positions in the department.

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Proposed arena: He is leaning toward being in favor of the proposal to build a new Sixers arena in Center City, but Murray said he is awaiting the results of a forthcoming community impact study.

“Sometimes what is best for the city might not be best for the neighbors, and you have to weigh that carefully,” he said. “Let’s find ways to make it work that is going to benefit everyone across the board.”

Murray said he considers himself to be pro-labor and expects to announce endorsements from a handful of unions after Labor Day, once full-time campaigning gets underway.

He said while he left the Democratic Party in 2018 because “it felt like the party was no longer for the middle class,” he doesn’t necessarily align ideologically with the national Republican Party or former President Donald Trump, who is running for president while facing four separate indictments.

Still, Murray said he voted for Trump in the 2020 general election because he’s a Republican ward leader, “so I do support the ticket.”

“I don’t tie myself directly to President Trump or his policies,” Murray said. “I tell people mostly to look at who I am and what I’ve done.”