PAC to host Sabatina Jr. fund-raiser

A political action committee will hold a fund-raiser to draft John Sabatina Jr. to run in a special election in the 174th Legislative District.
Democrat Alan Butkovitz serves the 174th district, but he’s favored to be elected city controller in November. His opponent is Republican Hillel Levinson, who served as city managing director in the 1970s under Mayor Frank L. Rizzo.
If Butkovitz wins, he’ll likely resign in January 2006. House Speaker John Perzel would call a special election to fill the remaining year in Butkovitz’s term.
Sabatina, an assistant district attorney whose father is Democratic leader of the 56th Ward, is expected to be the Democrats’ choice in the special election.
In anticipation, John Sabatina Sr. and others are organizing a brunch fund-raiser on Sunday, Aug. 14, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Keenan’s Irish Pub in North Wildwood, N.J. The chairman of the committee is John Dougherty, head of the electricians union and a likely 2007 mayoral candidate.
Sabatina Jr. will appear at the fund-raiser but will not declare his candidacy. Under the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter, city employees must resign before seeking elected office.
Sabatina will also run in the Democratic primary in the spring of 2006. It is unclear whether he will have opposition.
Lisa Deeley, a longtime aide to Butkovitz, has decided not to run. Instead, she will take a job in the controller’s office if Butkovitz wins.
Barbara Deeley, Lisa’s mother, is also a potential candidate. She serves as chief of staff to Sheriff John Green.
A possible Republican candidate is attorney Marina Kats. ••