2003 Philadelphia mayoral election

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2003 Philadelphia mayoral election
Flag of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.svg
  1999 November 4, 2003 2007  
Turnout50% [1] Increase2.svg 5 pp
  John F Street.jpg Sam Katz cropped (1).jpg
Nominee John F. Street Sam Katz
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote267,230189,357
Percentage58.34%41.34%

Philadelphia Mayoral Election, 2003.svg
Results by ward
Street:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
Katz:      50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%

Mayor before election

John F. Street
Democratic

Elected mayor

John F. Street
Democratic

The 2003 Philadelphia mayoral election was a contest between Democratic incumbent John F. Street and Republican businessman Sam Katz.

Contents

Pennsylvania governor and former mayor of Philadelphia Ed Rendell played a key role for Street by ensuring that business interests did not support Katz. [2]

The race was covered in the documentary film The Shame of a City . This was the last election prior to the 2019 election that saw a Republican nominee carry a ward, with Katz carrying several.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Declared

Results

Philadelphia Democratic mayoral primary, 2003
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic John F. Street 93,79999.59%
Write-in All others3870.41%
Turnout 94,186100.00

Mayor John Street was unopposed for renomination by the Democratic Party.

Republican primary

Candidates

Declared

  • Sam Katz, candidate for mayor in 1991 and 1999

Results

Philadelphia Republican mayoral primary, 2003
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Sam Katz 18,97399.93%
Write-in All others140.07%
Turnout 18,987100.00

Sam Katz was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

General election

Polling

Poll sourceDate(s)
administered
Sample
size [lower-alpha 1]
Margin
of error
John
Street (D)
Sam
Katz (R)
Other /
Undecided
SurveyUSA October 30 – November 2, 2003621 (CV)± 4.0%59%37%4%

Results

Philadelphia mayoral election, 2003
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Democratic John F. Street 267,23058.34Increase2.svg8.70
Republican Sam Katz 189,35741.34Decrease2.svg8.28
Socialist Workers John Staggs1,2910.28Increase2.svg0.28
Majority
Turnout 457,878
Democratic hold Swing

Notes

  1. Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    CV – certain voters
    V – unclear

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References

  1. Denvir, Daniel (May 22, 2015). "Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way". City Lab. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
  2. "The PA Report "Power 75" List" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 31, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 20, 2006. "Governor Rendell's squeezing business not to support Republican nominee, Sam Katz, will help"
Preceded by
1999
Philadelphia mayoral election
2003
Succeeded by
2007