It’s four more
years for O’Neill

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

City Councilman Brian O’Neill acknowledged he had reason to worry about his re-election effort.
O’Neill (R-10th dist.) represents a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by about 2-to-1. A poll showed district voters preferring Democrat Michael Nutter for mayor. And, even though it’s not a city issue, unease over the war in Iraq made the councilman nervous that voters would punish all Republicans at the polls.
A little past 9:30 p.m., though, the champagne started flowing as O’Neill claimed victory at the Elevator Constructors Local No. 5 hall on Townsend Road.
"This was a tough race, but I’m going to have a nice comfortable margin," he said.
Unofficial totals show O’Neill defeating Democrat Sean McAleer by a count of 17,840 to 12,828.
The incumbent took more than 58 percent of the vote, a figure he was humbled by because of the overwhelming Democratic voter-registration advantage.
"If I can win period, I’m thrilled," he said. "This is a tremendous, tremendous victory."
O’Neill, who was first elected to Council in 1979 by ousting Democrat Mel Greenberg by a razor-thin margin, dominated in the 63rd Ward in Fox Chase and Lower Bustleton, taking almost two-thirds of the votes. He also won by about 1,300 votes in the Far Northeast’s 66th Ward. He canvassed every division in those wards.
In the 57th and 58th wards, he won rather handily, and kept pace in the 53rd and 56th wards and the tiny portions of the 35th and 65th wards in the district. He thanked campaign workers for their efforts.
McAleer grew up in Parkwood and was winning some of the divisions in that neighborhood. The first to report was the 66th Ward, 9th Division, where the polling place is Junod Playground on Mechanicsville Road. The challenger prevailed, 137-116.
However, the Democrat could not keep pace in the ward or across the district.
"The good numbers far outweighed the not so good," said O’Neill, who based his campaign largely on protecting neighborhoods from unwanted development.
Joe Duda, a city elections commissioner and Republican leader of the 66th Ward, said O’Neill has built up a lot of good will in his 28 years in office and that committee people and volunteers worked hard to bring voters to the polls.
"It’s a combination of people knowing Brian and our effort to get Republicans out to vote," he said.
Meanwhile, McAleer monitored the returns from a back room at the Ironworkers Local Union 401 hall on Norcom Road.
His supporters credited him with running a good race.
"Sean worked his tail off, but it’s hard to knock off an incumbent," said Shawn Dillon, Democratic leader of Ward 66-A.
Mike McAleer, the candidate’s father and Democratic leader of Ward 66-B, said his son did well for his first run for office, but that he couldn’t overcome O’Neill’s advantage in fund-raising.
"He outspent us three to one," the elder McAleer said. "But Sean gave it his best. My son can hold his head up high. He ran an aggressive campaign."
Mike McAleer suggested that his son would run again for public office. He pointed to state Sen. Mike Stack, who lost two races for Senate and one for Council at-large before finally winning.
In this race, O’Neill had the backing of the police and fire unions, along with the Northeast Times, Inquirer and Daily News.
McAleer countered with endorsements from the building trade unions. His 42 percent is by far the highest vote total of any of O’Neill’s six other challengers over the years.
"Sean gave it a good try," said Joe Dougherty, business manager of Ironworkers 401.
McAleer will remain in his job as an administrator at Franklin Towne Charter High School. He will also return to the staff of Councilman at-large Jim Kenney. He had to resign that post to make the run for Council. And he’ll continue as a high school football official. His next assignment is the Archbishop Ryan/George Washington game on Thanksgiving.
In the campaign, McAleer criticized O’Neill for voting 94 percent of the time for measures supported by Mayor John Street and missing most of the meetings of the Public Safety Committee. He described his opponent as a nice guy, but a bad councilman. Those issues did not resonate with voters.
"They chose Brian again," said McAleer, a married father of three who took a family vacation to Disney World after the election.
McAleer thinks he campaigned more in the last nine months than O’Neill did in 28 years and hopes the councilman will work harder in office during his next term. He didn’t have the money to match O’Neill’s barrage of campaign mailers.
Over the next four years, McAleer plans to be a familiar face at civic meetings in his Holme Circle neighborhood and on behalf of Kenney.
"I’m a fighter," he said. "I care about Northeast Philadelphia." ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com