Philadelphia's Next Mayor: Cherelle Parker, David Oh face off in 2023 mayoral race

PHILADELPHIA - In less than 24 hours, voters will head to the polls to cast their vote for Philadelphia's next mayor, possibly bringing sweeping change to the city’s leadership as current Mayor James Kenney’s final term comes to an end.

Cherelle Parker and David Oh are going head-to-head in the mayoral race during the general election on November 7 after Parker beat out five other Democratic candidates during the Democratic primary election in May.

Here's what you need to know about the final two candidates:

Cherelle Parker

Parker, a Democrat with a long political history in Pennsylvania, won the Democratic primary in the race for Philadelphia’s mayor.

She emerged from a crowded field of Democratic candidates vying to replace Democrat Jim Kenney, who is term-limited. She beat out other former city council members who resigned from their seats to throw their hats in the ring; a state representative; a former city controller and a political outsider businessman.

The 50-year-old served for 10 years as a state representative for northwest Philadelphia before her election to the city council in 2015. Previously, she served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, representing the 200th District from 2005 until 2015.

Parker has pledged to "stop the sense of lawlessness that is plaguing our city" by putting hundreds more officers on the street to engage in community policing.

"How about you incentivize them via pay?" Parker posed the question during an interview with FOX 29’s Jeff Cole. "How about we find a way to package homeownership here in Philadelphia, home repair opportunities here in Philadelphia? We do everything we can."

She supports stronger gun laws and said she will work with state leaders to find more money for schools.

With a seven-to-one advantage in Democratic registration, Parker is favored to beat David Oh. She was also recently endorsed by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

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David Oh

Former Philadelphia council member David Oh announced his candidacy for Philadelphia mayor in February. He was a Republican in a crowded Democratic race prior to Parker’s primary victory.

The Philadelphia native was elected to City Council At-Large in November 2011, re-elected in November 2019, then began his third term in January 2020.

Oh and his wife have four children and they live in Southwest Philadelphia on the same street he has lived since 1963.

The Republican candidate has highlighted failed policies and soaring crime rates throughout his run for mayor, stating "As Philadelphia’s next mayor, I will work tirelessly to lead the charge in resolving the dilemmas impacting our quality of life by overhauling our policies with bold and decisive action."

In a separate FOX 29 interview, Oh told Cole that attracting and retaining police officers, and cleaning up widespread drug use are paramount to the city’s safety.

"Right now, police don't want to work for our city," Oh said. "They are leaving, they are taking early retirement, not staying in our city."

If elected, Oh hopes to hire 1,400 new police officers and mandate specific training to avoid tragedies like the fatal shooting of Eddie Irizarry last August.