2026 Spring Primary Election Endorsements
The 2nd Ward endorses candidates by a majority vote of its committeepeople. The 2nd Ward’s endorsement committee conducts thorough research into candidates and makes endorsement recommendations to the whole Ward based on questionnaires, interviews, and candidate forums. For judicial candidates, the endorsements committee also reviews Bar Association materials.
PA Governor
PA Lt. Governor
US House District 3
PA House District 175
PA House District 182
Ballot Question No. 1
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Philadelphia Retirement Savings Board to oversee a defined contribution retirement program for the benefit of eligible private-sector workers, and to authorize City Council to determine the composition, powers and duties of the board?
The Second Ward is taking NO Position on this ballot question.
Our committee people are concerned that not enough thought has gone into this question. Some are concerned that City Council and the mayor will have the ability to select the people who serve on the oversight board that establishes and administers these investments. There is concern that the funds will be invested through private banks or other entities that have as their first concern making money from the investments rather than maximizing the return for the investors while protecting the accounts’ security. Some are concerned that there should be a requirement that earnings from the investments should go to public uses such as the schools or safe affordable homes rather than to private investment firms. Others are concerned that public funds will need to be used to pay for and support the establishing committee and its collection of funds instead of the city creating more options to assist and encourage private workers and/or their employers to invest in retirement accounts themselves without the City having to expend tax dollars. Overall the ward did not vote to encourage our constituents to vote for this question.
Ballot Question No. 2
Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation of the Office of the Youth Ombudsperson to improve the safety and quality of services for youth placed in juvenile justice, child welfare, and behavioral health residential care facilities, and to authorize City Council to determine additional powers and duties of the Youth Ombudsperson as needed to carry out this mission?
The Second Ward recommends voting YES on this ballot question.
The second question asks if we want to amend the City Charter to require that the City permanently have an office that provides an ombudsman for all juveniles incarcerated in any type of institution. That means that a child in prison or a mental hospital or other institution may make a complaint of mistreatment to someone neutral outside that institution who will investigate the complaint and intervene to try to resolve it. An office like this has been functioning for the last several years but may not exist in the future without the electorate approving this charter change. It requires the City to expend funds on this office but we believe that it is for our population’s greater good. We endorse a yes vote.