Three members of Congress are backing Ala Stanford in the Philly primary, exposing a divide among Democrats

U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan, two Democrats who represent parts of Southeastern Pennsylvania in Congress, endorsed Ala Stanford for the open Philadelphia congressional seat Tuesday, throwing their weight behind the lone first-time candidate in the heated race.

Stanford, a physician who rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for her work in underserved neighborhoods, has now been endorsed by three of the five local Democrats in Congress. U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Democrat who currently represents the 3rd Congressional District and whom Stanford is vying to succeed, backed her campaign the day she announced she was running.

Dean, of Montgomery County, cited Evans’ endorsement in a statement to The Inquirer on Tuesday and said Stanford “is a person who gets things done, and her work in Congress would be a great benefit to us all.”

Houlahan, who represents Chester County and is an engineer by trade, said she is “proud to support leaders who break barriers and bring real expertise to public service.”

“These are three of Pennsylvania’s most dedicated public servants,” Stanford said in a statement, “and their confidence in this campaign is a profound validation of the work we have done and the work that lies ahead.”

It is a notable trio of endorsements for Stanford, who is running against two sitting state lawmakers. And the announcement shows something of a disconnect between the Philadelphia Democrats who work at the state or local level and the members of the congressional delegation who would work alongside the winner of the May 19 election.

The city’s Democratic Party, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and the majority of the city’s elected officials are backing State Sen. Sharif Street, the former head of the state party and the son of former Mayor John F. Street.

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State Rep. Chris Rabb, a progressive, is the third front-runner in the race. He is backed by a bevy of left-leaning elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Summer Lee of Pittsburgh and the Congressional Progressive Caucus’ political action committee.

All three candidates are working to rack up support ahead of the primary election, which is shaping up to be the most competitive federal race the city has seen in years. The primary is likely to be decisive — the district is one of the bluest in the nation, and no Republican has filed to run.

Two Democrats who represent the area in Congress have not made an endorsement: Brendan Boyle, who represents much of the eastern side of Philadelphia, and Mary Gay Scanlon, whose district includes Delaware County and a small section of South Philadelphia.

Dean and Houlahan were both elected to Congress in 2018, a Democratic wave year that came two years into President Donald Trump’s first term in office.

Both Dean and Houlahan were backed by EMILY’s List, a deep-pocketed national organization and political action committee that helps elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. The group announced last week that it has endorsed Stanford, who would be the second Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.

Stanford’s campaign also announced Tuesday that it will begin airing ads on television and online, becoming the first of the three front-runners’ campaigns to spend money on TV. The commercials are largely biographical and feature Stanford outlining her agenda to “stop Trump, bring down costs, abolish [U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement], and restore funding for Medicaid and Obamacare.”

Her campaign has spent a relatively modest $60,000 airing ads on broadcast television, according to media tracking firm AdImpact.

However, voters have seen Stanford’s message on television for weeks, thanks to ads funded by 314 Action Fund, a Washington-based super PAC that has poured more than $2.2 million into an effort to boost Stanford’s campaign. Super PACs can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money but are subject to rules that generally bar them from coordinating directly with the candidates they support.

314 is partially funded by anonymous donors through a so-called dark money group, meaning some of its contributions are routed through a nonprofit entity that is not required to disclose its funding sources.

More on the 3rd Congressional District race

• Philly’s three-way fight to replace Dwight Evans in the U.S. House enters a volatile final stretch

• Meet the Democrats vying to replace Dwight Evans in Congress

• Philly’s competitive U.S. House race narrows — but big questions loom

• Sharif Street could become Pa.’s first Muslim member of Congress. But don’t make assumptions about his politics.

• Chris Rabb is trying to be the left’s standard-bearer as he runs for Congress. Will progressives rally around him?

• Ala Stanford is banking on a healthcare message to break through crowded Philly primary for Congress

• Ala Stanford and Chris Rabb are trading accusations as AIPAC becomes a flash point in Philly’s U.S. House race

• After a staffer allegedly took $161K, Chris Rabb rebounds to lead fundraising in Philly’s congressional race

• How two Philly congressional candidates are quietly guiding super PACs in plain sight