Payton cruises to victory
over Lewis in 179th

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Freshman state Rep. Tony Payton said voters remembered his work on education funding, health care and job training as they entered voting booths last week.
Payton (D-179th dist.) won a smashing victory, 61 percent to 39 percent, over challenger Guy Lewis in the April 22 Democratic primary.
“People are aware of what we’ve done,” he said. “In fifteen months, we’ve accomplished a lot.”
Two years ago, Payton narrowly won the Democratic primary over a write-in candidate supported by party leaders.
This year, ward leaders Dan Savage (23rd), Bill Dolbow (35th) and Marge Tartaglione (62nd) endorsed Lewis, a nurse from Frankford.
Payton, also from Frankford, had to withstand a challenge to his nominating petitions. Though many of the signatures were faulty for a variety of reasons, a judge ruled he had more than the minimum 300 valid petitions required.
Still, Lewis thought he could pull off the upset.
“I wanted to beat him at the polls,” he said.
The incumbent used his campaign treasury to mail literature to voters. The challenger had to rely on more of a door-to-door effort.
Payton’s strategy was successful. He carried five of the six wards in the district, which includes the neighborhoods of Frankford, Oxford Circle, Northwood, Olney, Feltonville and Hunting Park.
In November, Payton will be a heavy favorite over Republican William Kennedy. He hopes to start working with his political foes — the ward leaders who opposed him and state Sen. Tina Tartaglione (D-2nd dist.).
“We need all hands on deck,” said Payton, who celebrated his victory at the Laborers Local 332 hall. “The focus should be on public policy, not politics.”
Payton — who took an early-morning flight to Arkansas the day after the primary for a meeting of the Young Elected Officials Network — said he is focused on passing a bill he sponsored that would give free tuition to Pennsylvania state universities and colleges for any high school student with a 3.0 grade point average and 90 percent attendance rate.
He believes the state can afford the annual cost of $87 million and cannot afford to miss a chance to educate more of its young citizens.
“Helping low-income and working-class families should be a top priority for any legislator,” he said.
Lewis focused on the 23rd and 62nd wards, where most of the votes were cast. The totals in those wards evened out, but Payton’s election-day presence in the 42nd and 43rd wards overwhelmed his opponent.
Savage, a former city councilman, thinks Payton benefited from fancy mailings and turnout by supporters of presidential candidate Barack Obama. Payton ran as a delegate in the 1st Congressional District for Obama and campaigned for him in New Hampshire.
Savage, who joined Lewis after the polls closed at the Chateau Caterers at Harbison Avenue and Bridge Street, was happy with the effort of his committee people. He also thought Lewis, who had the endorsement of the Philadelphia Daily News, did a good job on the campaign trail.
“It was a good run. He was a good candidate,” he said.
At about 10:30 p.m., Lewis spoke to supporters. He said defeat has never made him bitter, only better.
“We didn’t lose because of a lack of effort,” he said.
Lewis, making his first bid for office, said his campaign didn’t have the funds to compete with the well-funded incumbent.
“Tony Payton was connected to the money,” he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com