Next week’s primary
elections at a glance

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Longtime City Commissioner Margaret Tartaglione, an Oxford Circle Democrat, is heavily favored to win re-nomination in Tuesday’s primary.
Tartaglione, first elected in 1975, is chairwoman of the three-member commission, which monitors election issues.
Incumbent Democrat Edgar Howard is also seeking re-election. The challengers are Anthony Clark and Blair Talmadge.
The top two finishers will square off against Republicans Joe Duda, an incumbent from Parkwood, and Patrick J. Carroll, a painter from Fox Chase.
Clerk of Quarter Sessions Court Vivian Miller is facing a primary challenge from Elaine Tomlin, a Democratic ward leader from Olney. The office handles a variety of matters related to Common Pleas and Municipal Court. The Republican candidate is Center City Realtor John Featherman.
The fall matchup for Register of Wills is set. Incumbent Democrat Ronald Donatucci and Republican Dan Salvatore, a retiree from Roxborough, are unopposed.
Two longtime local members of City Council have free passes to the general election. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (D-6th dist.) awaits Republican Michael Ebsworth, a roofer from Mayfair. Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) faces a challenge from Democrat Sean McAleer, a charter school administrator. All four candidates are unopposed in the primary.
Philadelphia Democrats and Republicans will nominate nine judges — four for Common Pleas Court, two for Municipal Court and three for Traffic Court.
The winners of the Democratic primaries are almost guaranteed to be elected in November because of their party’s huge voter-registration advantage.
The race for Common Pleas Court consists of 17 Democrats and five Republicans. The GOP hopefuls are Joyce Eubanks, Alice Beck Dubow, Joseph T. Murphy Jr., Marvin L. Williams and Michael Erdos.
All but Eubanks are also running on the Democratic ticket. They are joined by Elvin Ross III, Rosa Ryan, Ellen Green-Ceisler, Thomas M. Nocella, J. Scott O’Keefe, Linda Carpenter, Thomas Martin, Angeles Roca, Greg Coleman, Beverly Muldrow, Gerard P. Shotzbarger, Christian H. Clemente and Robert Coleman.
Ryan and Shotzbarger, who both live in Somerton, are the only Northeast residents in the race.
The endorsed Democrats are Nocella, Carpenter, Roca and Muldrow.
The race for Municipal Court features eight Democrats and two Republicans. The GOP nominees will be Joseph C. Waters Jr. and Joseph T. Murphy Jr., who is also on the ballot for Common Pleas Court.
Waters has cross-filed as a Democrat. The other candidates are Joyce Eubanks, Joseph J. O’Neill, Sandjai Weaver, Diane Thompson, Sean F. Kennedy, Robert Kline and Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde, daughter of former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier.
Weaver, a former assistant district attorney, is the only candidate from the Northeast. She lives in Northwood.
O’Neill and Eubanks have the Democratic endorsement.
The Traffic Court race has attracted 15 Democrats and three Republicans. Bernard A. Strain, Scott Cummings and Frederick C. Mari Jr. are the Republican candidates.
That trio is also on the Democratic ballot, along with Willie Singletary, Wayne A. Johns, Mike Lowry, Albert Littlepage, Robert Mulgrew, Helen Hellon-Divers, Curtis Alton McAllister, Betty A. Townes, Candido Silva Jr., Brenda Reavis, Sandra A. Mills and John Connelly.
The four local hopefuls are Cummings (Mayfair), Mari (Fox Chase), Lowry (Mayfair) and Silva (Frankford).
Lowry has been endorsed by the Democratic Party, along with Mulgrew and Mills.
On Saturday, U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter hosted a fund-raiser for Cummings, a youth sports coach and Town Watch member who is president of the Mayfair Civic Association and 15th Police District Advisory Council. Cummings has served as a bodyguard for Henry Kissinger and Donald Trump.
"Scott Cummings is a well-qualified professional who would bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to Philadelphia Traffic Court," Specter said.
Philadelphians will also decide on eight ballot questions, including seven proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter. They are:
• "Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended so that, effective January 1, 2008, City elected officials may become candidates for nomination or election to any public office without first resigning from their City office?"
• "Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to create a Youth Commission, with members between the ages of 12 and 23 years of age, to be responsible for advising the City Council and the Mayor regarding issues affecting children and youth in order to ensure that children and youth have a voice regarding policies and decisions affecting them?"
• "Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the six appointed members of the City Planning Commission shall include an architect, an urban planner, a traffic engineer, an attorney experienced in land use issues, and two representatives of Philadelphia community groups that participate in land use issues."
• "Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide that the City Planning Commission may extend for up to 45 days the time period within which it must provide a recommendation to Council on pending legislation affecting zoning, the City’s physical development plan, land subdivision, or authorizing the purchase or sale of real estate?"
• "Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to provide for the creation, appointment, powers and duties of an independent Zoning Code Commission which would recommend amendments to the Philadelphia Zoning Code to make the Code consistent and easy to understand, and to enhance and improve Philadelphia’s city planning process while encouraging development and protecting the character of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods?"
• Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to state the citizens’ views regarding the mission served by U.S. troops in Iraq and that the citizens of Philadelphia urge the United States to make year 2007 the time to redeploy U.S. troops out of harm’s way in Iraq?"
• "Should the City of Philadelphia borrow $129,695,000 for and toward: Transit; Streets and Sanitation; Municipal Buildings; Parks; Recreation and Museums and; Economic and Community Development?"
• Shall the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter be amended to add a provision stating that the citizens of Philadelphia urge the stopping of real estate tax assessment increases which would result from the Philadelphia Board of Revision of Taxes’ use of a new method of figuring tax assessments called ‘Full Valuation?’ "
Voters who need to find their polling place can call toll-free 1-866-268-8603 or visit www.seventy.org/map/ ••Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com