Lowry is in gear
for a Traffic Court seat

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Mayfair’s Mike Lowry appears headed to a seat on Traffic Court.
Lowry, a 55th Ward Democratic committeeman and aide to state Rep. Mike McGeehan, placed third among 15 candidates in the primary last week.
"I’m extremely happy. I can’t thank the people of Northeast Philly enough," said Lowry, who celebrated his victory at Rauchut’s Tavern on Frankford Avenue.
Lowry, endorsed by the Democratic City Committee, was on sample ballots on more than 40 wards across the city and was able to pay for printed material thanks to the backing of several unions. He also appeared on ballots distributed by mayoral candidate and party chairman Bob Brady.
Lowry, along with winner Willie Singletary and runner-up Robert Mulgrew, will be the Democratic candidates against Republican nominees Scott Cummings, Bernard A. Strain and Frederick C. Mari Jr., who were unopposed.
Since Democrats have a better than 5-to-1 voter registration advantage, their candidates are likely to sweep all three seats.
Cummings, of Mayfair, and Mari, of Fox Chase, also ran in the Democratic primary, along with Strain.
If the Democratic ticket wins, Lowry would be the only Northeast resident among the seven Traffic Court judges, who hear automobile moving-violation cases.
Maybe Lowry will preside over the case of Singletary, who owes more than $11,000 in driving-related fines.
In the race for four seats on Common Pleas Court, Alice Beck Dubow and Michael Erdos were nominated by both parties, virtually assuring their election. The other candidates will be Democrats Linda Carpenter and Ellen Green-Ceisler and Republicans Joseph T. Murphy Jr. and Joyce Eubanks.
In the battle for two seats on Municipal Court, the Democratic winners were Joseph J. O’Neill and Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde. They’ll square off against the unopposed Republicans, Joseph C. Waters Jr. and Murphy, who is also on the ballot for Common Pleas Court. Were Murphy to win both judicial posts in November, he would likely take the Common Pleas position.
In the always unpredictable race for five at-large City Council seats, the top Democratic finishers were incumbents Jim Kenney, Wilson Goode Jr., Bill Greenlee and Blondell Reynolds Brown and challenger Bill Green. Councilman Juan Ramos finished eighth in the 19-candidate field and will leave office at the end of the year.
The top five finishers in the Northeast, in order, were Kenney, Green, Greenlee, Ben Ramos and Goode.
The only local candidate, former state Sen. Milton Street of Wissinoming, finished 17th overall and last in the Northeast wards.
The Republicans were unopposed. They are incumbents Frank Rizzo and Jack Kelly and challengers David Oh, Patricia Mattern and Phil Kerwick.
In district races that include portions of the Northeast, incumbents won easily.
Councilman Frank DiCicco (D-1st dist.) won 68 percent against Vern Anastasio. He’ll face Republican Michael A. Seidenberg.
Councilman Darrell Clarke (D-5th dist.) captured almost 70 percent in a three-way race. Haile Johnston took about 20 percent. John Longacre finished with just under 11 percent. There is no Republican candidate.
Councilwoman Marian Tasco (D-9th dist.) picked up 72 percent of the vote in a four-person race. She was trailed by Cecil Hankins (12 percent), Ray Jones (11 percent) and Lamont Thomas (5 percent). There is no Republican candidate.
The candidates in the 6th and 10th Councilmanic districts were unopposed. Councilwoman Joan Krajewski (D-6th dist.) will face Republican Michael Ebsworth. Councilman Brian O’Neill (R-10th dist.) will meet Democrat Sean McAleer.
Marge Tartaglione, the longtime city election commissioner from Oxford Circle, easily topped a four-candidate field in the Democratic primary. Challenger Anthony Clark finished second, ousting incumbent Edgar Howard, who placed third. Blair Talmadge was last.
The Republican candidates are incumbent Joe Duda, of Parkwood, and Patrick J. Carroll, of Fox Chase. The top three win election.
Sheriff John Green crushed Michael Untermeyer in the Democratic primary with 68 percent of the vote. There is no Republican candidate.
Clerk of Quarter Sessions Court Vivian Miller won 70 percent of the vote against Elaine Tomlin in the Democratic primary. She’ll face Republican John Featherman.
In the race for Register of Wills, incumbent Democrat Ronald Donatucci and Republican Dan Salvatore were unopposed.
Voters overwhelmingly backed a measure allowing the city to borrow money for various services.
They also approved six of seven proposed amendments to the Home Rule Charter.
Those that passed would create a Youth Commission, change the makeup of the City Planning Commission, give the planning commission more time to make recommendations on legislation, create a Zoning Code Commission to consider proposed changes and add language that citizens want to redeploy troops out of Iraq and prevent real estate tax assessment increases.
Voters rejected an amendment that would have allowed elected city officials to remain on the job while seeking another office. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com