Democrats Rue Landau and Nina Ahmad make history as Philly’s first LGBTQ and South Asian Council members
Though the candidates’ victories weren’t a big surprise following their June primary wins, their successes on Tuesday started new chapters in Philly history books.
History was made Tuesday night in Philly by two at-large Council candidates: Rue Landau and Nina Ahmad.
Landau will become the first openly LGBTQ member of the Council, and Ahmad will become the first South Asian member and the first immigrant in recent memory.
Though the Democratic candidates’ victories weren’t a big surprise following their June primary wins, their successes on Tuesday started new chapters in Philly history books.
The city’s legislative body has 10 members who represent geographic districts and seven at-large members who are elected citywide. Since Philadelphia is heavily blue, Democrats are historically guaranteed five of those four-year spots, leaving the GOP and the progressive Working Families Party competing for the other two since the primaries, which drew more than 30 candidates.
“Together we did it. Together we made history.”@Rue_Landau declares victory as the first openly LGBTQ member of the Philadelphia City Council. pic.twitter.com/nh6TkDIwsd
— Aliya Schneider (@aliyareports) November 8, 2023
Landau’s supporters declared victory shortly after 8:30 p.m. She was introduced to the crowd at Cockatoo, a bar in the Gayborhood, by her wife Kerry Smith, who described meeting her almost 21 years ago. Smith recalled her first reaction of Landau: that she was an “amazing bustle of energy, bundle of light, wrapped up in this little tiny package called Rue.”
Landau emphasized that her win isn’t just about her, but the whole LGBTQ+ community. While she is the first, she doesn’t plan to be the last, pledging to uplift marginalized communities.
Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” shook the room after her speech.
”I feel fantastic, I am ready to start tomorrow but I know I need to wait until January,” she said . “Tonight it actually feels real and I couldn’t be happier. And I am so proud to represent such a beautifully diverse community, and to represent all Philadelphians, because this is a time of unity where we all need to come together, no matter what background, what neighborhood we come from. We have to all come together to be able to make Philadelphia a better and more thriving place for all of us and I can’t wait to be a part of it.”
Justin Nordell, 37, of Point Breeze, said he came to the party to watch history be made. He praised Rue Landau’s efforts to hear out “all voices, all marginalized voices” through her work with the city and on the campaign trail.
Making history isn’t new to Landau and Ahmad. Landau and her wife became the first gay couple in Pennsylvania to legally marry in 2014, and Ahmad was the first Bangladeshi American to serve on President Barack Obama’s Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) advisory commission.
After her win late Tuesday night, Ahmad said she was savoring the moment and feeling ready to roll her sleeves up “and get going.” ”I am feeling very good,” she said. “I’m very grateful to the voters of Philadelphia for once again believing in me.” Ahmad said she spent the day thanking poll workers, calling them “frontline soldiers keeping our democracy sacred.”
While she was happy to see voters showing up to the polls, she wants to improve turnout in the future. She said she looks forward to improving communication between the city and Philadelphians, and taking a deep dive into “what public engagement could really look like.”
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Who is Rue Landau?
Rue Landau, a civil rights lawyer, worked as Director of Law and Policy at the Philadelphia Bar Association and served 12 years in city government leading the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations and the Fair Housing Commission.
“I will be a very outspoken and loud Council member who says we’re not going back in the closet, we’re not going anywhere. We’re not going to roll back our civil rights and we’ll fight and demand for everything that we need for our communities,” said Landau, 54, of Bella Vista, a Progressive who pocketed endorsements from both the Democratic Committee and more left leaning groups.
Pulling from her experience representing low income tenants, Landau said that she wants to put much of her energy toward affordable housing. She also has her eye on public safety, quality of life and equity in schools.
Philadelphia has long been what Landau calls a “safe haven” for the LGBTQ community, and more than 60,000 Philadelphians identify as LGBTQ, according to the city. But still, it has stood alone as the only top 10 largest U.S. city to never have had an openly LGBTQ member in its municipal legislature. Candidates tried to change that before Landau, but they were unsuccessful.
“Our community has too long played an advisory role to City Council and the mayor’s office,” said Landau, who has worked alongside City Hall on issues relating to vulnerable communities for years.
Landau credits those that came before her for paving the way for her success, including two closeted gay members of Council on both sides of the aisle: Republican Ethel Allen, who served in the 1970s, and John C. Anderson, who served in the early 1980s.
Anderson was floated as a potential candidate to become the city’s first Black mayor, and Allen went on to serve as Republican Gov. Richard Thornbugh’s secretary of state in 1979. Her role was short-lived, however, because she was booted from the role after she issued a resolution recognizing June as Gay Pride Month.
Who is Nina Ahmad?
Nina Ahmad is a scientist, real estate developer, president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Organization for Women and former deputy mayor of public engagement. She emigrated from Bangladesh to Detroit at age 21 after surviving the country’s war of liberation. She soon after landed in Philadelphia to pursue a chemistry doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania and never left the city.
“I really love Philadelphia,” said Ahmad, 64, of East Mount Airy. " … with all its bumps, bruises, flaws and everything, I don’t see the Philadelphia many people see. I see a lot of improvement in Philadelphia but more importantly, I’ve experienced a lot of warmth in Philadelphia … I want everybody to have this kind of experience.”
Ahmad wants to address crime through a public health lens, create new revenue for the city without increasing taxes, foster a business-friendly environment and create a workforce pipeline to science and technology sectors.
City archives don’t track Council members’ birthplaces, but Ahmad is likely the first immigrant to serve on Council for decades while almost 17% of the Philadelphia population were born outside of the United States, according to 2022 census data.
Immigrants starting from scratch are making sure they can take care of their families, “let alone think about politics,” Ahmad said. And while non-citizens cannot be elected in Pennsylvania, those awaiting citizenship are likely careful not to make political waves.
Ahmad has learned that forming coalitions with other South Asian groups and the broader AAPI community is a way to build political power. But she also felt desperate to get recognized as a viable candidate in a political landscape that can favor political connections and legacies.
Less than two weeks before the primary, Ahmad triggered the “millionaire’s amendment” by writing a $150,000 check to her own campaign, exceeding the $250,000 self-financing threshold that triggers the amendment and doubling the contribution limit for all at-large candidates. She previously poured more than $1 million into two unsuccessful bids for statewide office for lieutenant governor in 2018 and auditor general in 2020.
“I had no choice, because I wanted to have that voice and wanted to create that space, and I was willing to invest my own money in it,” she said. " … when you’re at that decision making table it makes a difference for not just you but a whole bunch of other people.”
Why does representation in government matter?
When underrepresented people gain political power, they can use their own experiences to impact those who may not be otherwise heard.
Landau emphasized “keeping the door open for many many more people to come along with me, and after me.”
The LGBTQ rights advocate said that it starts with those who have already been elected.
While many Council members have hired staff from the community, she said she hasn’t seen enough transgender people be hired.
“I would love to see at least one member of the community in every single council office,” Landau said. “It’s only when folks get the door open for them and get the experience, that they will be able to really start elevating to higher levels in city government and hopefully run in the future.”
Ahmad said that while she has noticed more Bangladeshis serve in their local committees like she did, underrepresented communities could benefit from being educated about various elected positions to help demystify government. Breaking the stigma of going into politics for immigrants who view politics in a negative light – like those who escaped political persecution or simply don’t see it as a viable career path – is also a step in the right direction, she said.
“People are understanding that in order to get adequate resources, you have to have political power and have connections to legislators, or whoever makes those decisions,” Ahmad said. “And the other realization that has happened, I believe, is if you vote, people pay attention to you. They look {at} who the voters are.”
