Nutter squashes the competition
to capture the top spot

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

As long as you didn’t have your heart set on being Philadelphia’s finance director, Mayor-elect Michael Nutter might have a place for you in his administration.
Nutter, who easily defeated Republican Al Taubenberger and the Socialist Workers Party’s John Staggs in last week’s election, said he wanted to move the city forward in "a new way."
"That means I need the best and the brightest — from the private sector, academia, non-profit, government and community relations — to join me in setting a new course for the future of Philadelphia," he said.
Two days after the election, Nutter selected Rob Dubow as finance director.
He is inviting individuals who have demonstrated leadership, skill, commitment and the highest ethical standards to submit their resumés and cover letters at www.nutter2007.com
"To make Philadelphia one of the truly great cities in the world, we must work together and everyone must do their part," he said. "I’m ready to lead. Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and help us?"
Nutter, a 50-year-old former city councilman from Wynnefield, held a victory party at the Warwick Hotel, where he was joined on stage by his wife, son and daughter. He asked for a moment of silence for police officer Chuck Cassidy and all of the city’s homicide victims.
"It’s a new day," he declared in a victory speech that began a little after 10 p.m.
The following morning, he addressed civic and business leaders at an event hosted by the election watchdog group Committee of Seventy. He’ll take the oath of office on Jan. 7.
In the time leading up to the general election, Nutter traveled to Chicago, New York, Baltimore and Washington, D.C., to look at the practices and policies that have improved services in those cities.
Nutter could afford to leave the campaign trail because he all but captured City Hall by winning the May Democratic primary. He had a huge fund-raising advantage over his opponents, and Democrats outnumber Republicans by a ratio of 5-to-1 in Philadelphia.
In the end, that was the margin of victory. He took about 83 percent of the vote. That’s the highest percentage for a mayoral candidate since John Weaver in 1902.
Taubenberger, 54, managed a little more than 17 percent of the vote. Staggs received a small fraction of the total.
Nutter, who joined his wife Lisa and Northeast Democratic ward leaders two days before the election for brunch at the Dining Car, won all 66 wards in the city.
The mayor-elect piled up huge numbers in wards with large black populations and in the white liberal areas of Center City and Chestnut Hill. He also dominated in West and Northwest Philadelphia, areas that make up the 4th Councilmanic District he represented from 1992-2006.
In the 14 wards in the Northeast, he received about 63 percent of the vote.
Taubenberger, seeking to become the first mayor from the Northeast, did best in the 64th Ward, where he took 45.5 percent of the vote. State Rep. John Perzel, a former House speaker, is the Republican leader of the ward, centered in West Mayfair and Holmesburg.
The Republican gave his concession speech a little before 10 p.m. at the Knowlton Mansion, located a few blocks from his home in Fox Chase.
"I enjoyed it," he said of the campaign. "I’m a lot wiser. There’s no man who’s sought the office of mayor and enjoyed it more than I."
Taubenberger acknowledged it is difficult for a Republican to do well in Philadelphia. A poll two weeks before the election showed him losing, 83 percent to 8 percent.
After the final unofficial numbers were reported, he took some solace in the fact that he outpolled President George W. Bush and Lynn Swann, the GOP’s candidate for governor in 2006, in the city.
The mayoral campaign featured positive messages from both candidates, though Nutter tried to rally Democrats to the polls late in the race by urging them to send a message to Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Taubenberger became chummy with Nutter at dozens of forums throughout the city. He is pleased that Nutter has vowed to make tax reform one of the top items on his agenda.
"I can call the new mayor directly," he said. "He’s a fair and decent man and is on track to be a good mayor."
As for Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce since 1992, he’ll remain at his present job and continue his work with the Burholme Community Town Watch and Civic Association.
"I’m going back to the chamber of commerce, a job that I truly love," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com