2003 Philadelphia mayoral election

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

2003 Philadelphia mayoral election

November 4, 2003
Turnout	50%[1] 5 pp
Nominee John F. Street Sam Katz Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 267,230 189,357 Percentage 58.34% 41.34%
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

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.

Democratic primary

Declared

• John F. Street, incumbent Mayor

Results

Philadelphia mayoral election, 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John F. Street	93,799	99.59%
	Write-in	All others	387	0.41%
Turnout			94,186	100.00

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

Republican primary

Declared

• Sam Katz, candidate for Mayor in 1991 and 1999

Results

Philadelphia Republican mayoral primary, 1999

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Sam Katz	18,973	99.93%
	Write-in	All others	14	0.07%
Turnout			18,987	100.00

Sam Katz was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

General election

Results

Philadelphia mayoral election, 2003

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John F. Street	267,230	58.34	8.70
	Republican	Sam Katz	189,357	41.34	8.28
	Socialist Workers	John Staggs	1,291	0.28	0.28
Majority
Turnout			457,878
	Democratic hold		Swing

External links

• Election results from the Committee of Seventy

References

1. Denvir, Daniel (22 May 2015). "Voter Turnout in U.S. Mayoral Elections Is Pathetic, But It Wasn't Always This Way". City Lab. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
2. "The PA Report "Power 75" List" (PDF). Pennsylvania Report. Capital Growth, Inc. January 31, 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-09-20. "Governor Rendell's squeezing business not to support Republican nominee, Sam Katz, will help"