Bobby Henon has resigned from City Council. What happens next for his Northeast Philly district?
The three-term lawmaker’s successor will be decided by voters in a special election — but no word when that will be yet.
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Philadelphia City Councilmember Bobby Henon is out of City Hall.
The convicted Democrat’s Thursday resignation — a month before his federal sentencing for bribery and corruption-related offenses — signals the start of a new chapter for the 6th District in Northeast Philadelphia. Within months, voters will elect a successor to represent them in City Hall, but the timeline is still a little hazy.
» READ MORE: Convicted Councilmember Bobby Henon resigns from City Council a month before federal sentencing
Here’s a quick rundown of what happens next.
Wait, why didn’t Henon resign after his conviction in November?
Under Pennsylvania law, elected officials convicted on criminal charges are permitted to hold onto their seat until sentencing when the conviction becomes official.
In the wake of the jury’s verdict, Henon emphasized that the Council office would continue to run and provide constituent services until he had ensured a smooth transition to his successor.
So...who gets to pick Henon’s replacement?
Voters will choose Henon’s successor through a special election at a yet-undetermined date. But it won’t follow the usual procedure for local elections, where Democrats and Republicans vote in a primary to elect who will represent their party in a general election.
Instead, a vacant seat leads to something of a backroom arrangement among the district’s political players: Committee people and ward leaders for each party will vote privately for their nominee behind closed doors. Those candidates are then put toward voters in that special election.
Due to the Democratic voter edge in Henon’s district, the Democratic nominee is a likely shoe-in for his Council seat.
Henon is a Democratic ward leader in his district, which would give him some say in picking his own successor, though it remained unclear Thursday if or when he would step down from that post.
When will the special election be held?
When a Council seat becomes vacant, the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter stipulates that the Council president must schedule a special election at least 30 days from the start of the vacancy.
According to the charter, the Council president may set the specific date for the special election, or group it onto the date of the next primary or general election. On Thursday, Council President Darrell L. Clarke’s office wouldn’t immediately commit to a date.
Any word on candidates lining up to take Henon’s place?
The power vacuum has created a Hunger Games-esque frenzy among Northeast Philly politicos — some of whom have been privately speculating for months about who might replace Henon, even prior to his corruption trial.
Names began floating around Northeast Philly’s political circles in the wake of Henon’s conviction. State Rep. Mike Driscoll, who testified on Henon’s behalf at trial, was mentioned as a front-runner. Other pols who were rumored to have interest in the council seat denied that they were running.
Who will represent the district in City Hall until a new council member is chosen?
Council members reconvened Thursday for their first session of 2022, and with no election date set, it will likely be months until someone settles into Henon’s chair.
In the interim, 6th District residents can still request services. While the City Hall office is now closed, Henon’s staff will continue working out of the district office on Torresdale Avenue, with the council president providing some oversight in Henon’s absence.