Candidates for Dwight Evans’ congressional seat hunt for cash and support at the Pa. Society in New York

NEW YORK — In dimly lit Italian restaurants, boisterous Irish pubs, and the vintage sprawling ballroom atop Rockefeller Center, candidates running for Congress in Philadelphia spent a busy weekend in New York trying to woo donors and supporters.

State Sen. Sharif Street, Ala Stanford, and State Rep. Morgan Cephas, all seeking to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans in one of the nation’s most Democratic districts, made the rounds, as Pennsylvania’s political elite gathered in Manhattan for the annual Pennsylvania Society dinner — and a parade of related events.

Stanford held a somewhat star-studded fundraiser Thursday evening, hosted, according to a posted listing for the private event, by Hamilton actor Leslie Odom Jr., (who did not attend but lent his name). Other hosts included Holly Hatcher-Frazier, an educator and original cast member on the TV show Dance Moms, and Lauren Bush, the niece of former President George W. Bush and co-founder of FEED Projects, a fashion brand which donates a portion of its proceeds to alleviating childhood hunger.

“What I’m hearing is people want a different type of solution,” Stanford said in an interview at a breakfast held by the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday. “Innovative, reaching across the aisle, collaborative, not afraid to stand up to authority,” she added.

A lot of eyes are on the pediatric surgeon and founder of a community health center, to see how she translates a career that involved fundraising for nonprofits into funding her first campaign.

She was endorsed by Evans upon launching her bid to succeed him in the 3rd Congressional District.

She’s built her campaign around her experience in the medical community and the biggest buzz of the weekend may have been her response to a minor medical incident. An older woman fell down some steps exiting a reception hosted by House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D., Philadelphia).

Stanford “triaged” the situation, according to Democrats in attendance, instructing Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Kevin Dougherty and his son State Rep. Sean Dougherty to lift the woman onto some chairs so she could evaluate her. The woman ended up being fine and was able to walk home from the restaurant.

Street, the former state party chair and a longtime attendee at Pennsylvania Society, held two fundraisers in Manhattan, fresh off his endorsement last week by former Gov. Ed Rendell.

“We got a lot of people that can vote in the district here, we want their votes,” he said in an interview at a rooftop reception hosted by Independence Blue Cross. “We got a lot of people who can write checks here, we want their checks.”

State Rep. Ben Waxman, a longtime friend and colleague of Cephas, is in talks with donors to organize a super PAC to support the fellow Philadelphia Democrat’s campaign, according to a source familiar with the plans. The PAC would likely be run by longtime Philadelphia strategist Brandon Evans, who worked for both former Mayor Jim Kenney and District Attorney Larry Krasner.

The PAC has a goal of raising $250,000 to spend on digital, mail, and field, according to the source.

Cephas was the only sitting member of the Pennsylvania House to endorse Waxman when he ran in 2022 and has been a big supporter ever since. He is the treasurer of a state PAC created to support the Philadelphia delegation in Harrisburg, which she chairs.

Not spotted at Pennsylvania Society weekend was State Rep. Chris Rabb, who is running as an anti-establishment progressive.

“That’s not really my thing,” he said in a text message, of the glitzy Manhattan affair.

Street released an internal poll last week that showed him narrowly beating Rabb with Stanford and Cephas following behind.

Several candidates running in the crowded race, which is up to about a dozen candidates, were not included in the poll and did not attend Pennsylvania Society.

“I believe our standing is strong,” Stanford said when asked about the poll. “I believe that there are many endorsements and people donate lots of money. But ultimately every individual has one vote. And that is the equalizer.”

One question will be whether Street, the son of former Mayor John Street, ties up most or all of the Democratic establishment support.

Several state representatives and ward leaders, like State Rep. Danilo Burgos, have already endorsed him — little surprise given his background running the party. But other elected officials, including City Councilmember and ward leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, said they are waiting for their ward’s official vetting process to get underway.

Street said when it comes to his colleagues, “I think by the time we get to Election Day, most of my colleagues will be for me.”

John Brady, political director of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, said 60% of Philadelphia wards have endorsed Street. He said the City Committee is waiting for more of the remaining wards, including the progressive and independent wards, to complete their processes so the full committee can move forward with their endorsement process in February.

“Look, two months from now is the first week of February, that’s plenty of time for them to complete their processes.” The concern, Brady said, is if the party waits too long, an endorsement may not carry weight.

While the City Committee wants to firm up an endorsement, some elected Democrats at Pennsylvania Society said they were struggling with whom to back — several said they really liked Cephas but felt wary of political backlash if they didn’t back Street and he won the nomination.

While Rabb has carved out a clear lane as the progressive, some of the city’s most progressive elected lawmakers have not lined up behind him yet. City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents West Philadelphia, said this weekend she is not yet ready to endorse and Working Families Party member Kendra Brooks, also on City Council, said the Working Families Party would go through a formal process in January (the progressive group often gets involved in Democratic races).

While Evans is backing Stanford, Philly’s other Democratic members of Congress have yet to weigh in. U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle said he might not endorse in the primary. U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, at an event on Friday night, said she’s worked with both Cephas and Stanford and has “great respect for both of them.”

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has said she will endorse in the primary and her vetting process starts in January.

“For me, I’m really looking at Philadelphia’s agenda, you know, safe, clean, green, economic opportunity for all and how will you leverage your seat at the table to deliver for the 3rd Congressional District?” she said.

“What do you advocate for and champion as a legislator? What’s your personal passion and then you have to leverage tangible results.”