An ex-Philly City Council staffer allied with the left wants to shake up one of City Hall’s most obscure offices
The city's current Register of Wills John Sabatina Sr. has not said publicly whether he intends to run for reelection.
The blue wave last week washed over Congress, Harrisburg, and the Jersey Shore. Progressives are going all-out for a City Council majority in 2027. And now, leftists have their sights set on a tiny, arcane Philadelphia row office.
Michael Byrd, a former Philadelphia City Council staffer allied with progressives, launched a bid last week to be the city’s register of wills, the independently elected leader of the office that issues marriage licenses, oversees estates, and approves wills.
The 29-year-old Germantown native, who most recently worked as a legislative aide to City Councilmember Anthony Phillips, has ties to left-leaning groups such as One PA, an economic and racial justice organization.
The register of wills is one of three row offices that will be on Philadelphia ballots in May, along with the sheriff’s office and the city commissioners, who run elections. Given Democrats far outnumber Republicans in the city, the winner of the primary is likely to be elected in the fall general election.
It’s unclear whether Byrd will be taking on current Register of Wills John Sabatina Sr., a Democratic Party stalwart and longtime ward leader who has led the office since 2024. Sabatina, 80, has not said publicly whether he intends to run for reelection, and he did not respond to a request for comment.
» READ MORE: Philly’s progressive left is plotting a City Council takeover in 2027
Ideology has not traditionally driven campaigns for the register of wills office — challengers have in recent years largely run on reform platforms.
But Byrd said the office can play a role in how the city responds to affordability concerns by addressing the widespread problem of “tangled titles.” The legal complication occurs when a person inherits a property from a deceased relative but does not have their name on the deed, making it challenging for them to sell the property or borrow against it.
Sabatina created a unit dedicated to clearing tangled titles. Byrd said he would expand the unit, publish performance baselines publicly, and partner with legal service organizations to assist people navigating the process.
» READ MORE: Tangled titles in Philly threaten more than $1.1 billion in generational wealth
The office, which has a $7 million annual budget and 85 employees, has seen substantial turnover at the top in recent years.
Former Register Ron Donatucci led the office for more than 40 years, proudly hiring political allies and running the office as a patronage den. That practice was often cited by government reformers who have called for the office to be abolished and its duties folded into the court system.
In 2019, Tracey Gordon shocked the Democratic establishment and ousted Donatucci in the primary.
But she faced her own controversies and allegations of using the office for political gain. Gordon lost a reelection bid in 2023, when Sabatina prevailed in a four-way primary.
Byrd, a first-time political candidate, said that, if elected, he would prioritize education and outreach to help families better understand probate, will authorization, and property transfers.
“I want people to know that the office is there for them to help them in their most vulnerable times,” Byrd said. “They are dealing with the office at two of the most key times in their lives: when someone passes, or when it’s time to get married. I think the service that people receive should match the moment.”
