I heard the music before I reached the front door.
Walking up to the Community of Compassion CDC at the Church of Christian Compassion, 6150 Cedar Ave. in West Philadelphia, on a warm May morning, the bass notes from inside reached the sidewalk like an invitation. A volunteer at the entrance confirmed what the rhythm had already told me: this was a Get Out the Vote (GOTV) rally for Sharif Street, and tomorrow — Election Day — was the whole point.
Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District primary has been called the most partisan in the nation — rated +40 for Democrats by the Cook Political Report. That makes the winner of Tuesday’s Democratic primary the near-certain next representative from North and West Philadelphia.
Street — a Pennsylvania state senator since 2017, a civil rights and housing attorney, the former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, and the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street — came with the weight of a legacy and a powerful political machine firmly at his back. He is running to replace long-serving U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, who announced his retirement and is leaving behind one of the most highly prized Democratic seats in the country.
Inside, several hundred supporters waved campaign signs — Sharif Street, Women for Street — as State Sen. Anthony Williams served as master of ceremonies, introducing each speaker with a few well-chosen words about their record. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker spoke in support of Street. She stressed the need for a representative who «is going to deliver tangible results that people in the 3rd Congressional District can see, touch, and feel.» When I support someone, I want to see a receipt of what they have done.»
The room went electric when U.S. Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey took the stage. Booker had crossed the Delaware River to stand next to the man he called his brother. When someone previously asked him why — why, with everything happening in this country, he was making this particular trip to Philadelphia, Booker didn’t hesitate.
«Let me be very clear,» he said, «that injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.» After a heartfelt wave of applause, he continued: «I am here because I know that the fate of Philadelphia is tied to the fate of Newark, New Jersey — to the fate of Birmingham, to the fate of Atlanta. No matter how they try to divide us, we are still one nation. We need to be more indivisible. We are one nation under God.»
Booker and Street share a thread beyond geography: both are graduates of distinguished institutions, and both went to law school before stepping into political leadership. Street earned his B.A. from Morehouse College and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. He later practiced civil rights and affordable housing law and helped create Philadelphia Green Communities. Booker called Street someone «who knows what it is to keep fighting even when you’re tired.» Philadelphia Democratic Party Chairman Bob Brady, a man who has seen more Philadelphia primaries than most, was characteristically blunt.
«I am tired of hearing people running against our guy saying what they are going to do,» he said, pausing for effect. «He’s already done it. Let’s get this thing done tomorrow.» City Council President Kenyatta Johnson raised the issue of gun violence prevention. Then he offered a pointed observation about voter turnout — one that resonates in communities too often dismissed before the polls even close. «These people aren’t going to show up,» he said, echoing the skeptics. Then, measuring his words, «Look at the wards that are going to win this race. These people vote more than these other people.» Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton delivered a rousing endorsement in the commanding cadence she is known for across Harrisburg. But the speaker who landed differently was April Street — Sharif’s wife — who addressed the complicated weight of his surname with quiet force. Many people assume, she said, that being a Street makes things easier in Philadelphia politics. «Being a Street,» she told the room, «is not an entitlement. It is a legacy of service.»
Former Mayor John Street sat in the front row, watching politicians he helped shape stand up for his son. He was briefly introduced but did not speak — a patriarch who has already said, over decades of Philadelphia public life, what needed to be said. Sharif Street spoke last, his words filling the room with an urgency that brought the crowd to its feet. Signs rose, and voices rang out: «Street! Street! Street!»
At the door, a supporter sitting at the flyer table — likely handing out materials for the last time before the vote — looked up at me. «What do you think about this race?» he asked. I turned the question back. He thought for a moment. «Street has a record,» he said. «He has a plan. He has a receipt. I don’t think the other candidates have a real strategy.» He paused. «I think we will win.»
Tomorrow, the voters of the 3rd Congressional District will make that decision. I am one of them.