Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
On Tuesday, voters in Pennsylvania’s third congressional district – which includes most of the city of Philadelphia – will choose the type of hero they want to represent them in the United States House of Representatives.
Four candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary. They include State Representative Chris Rabb, State Senator Sharif Street, pediatric surgeon Ala Stanford and attorney Shaun Griffith.
Recommended Articles
list of things 3end of series
Overall, all four campaigns are making significant progress, focusing on issues such as expanding health care, affordability and housing.
But followers say the race reflects the flaws within the Democratic Party as it seeks to challenge Republican President Donald Trump in the 2026 midterm elections.
Marc Stier, who served as director of the Pennsylvania Policy Center, a progressive think tank, until earlier this year, said there was little difference in the candidates’ platforms.
“They’re all against Donald Trump. They’re all talking about civil rights, health care and voting rights,” said Stier, who supports Rabb. “So the difference is not that big.”
But the race has drawn international attention, including from top Democrats.
For Stier and other local experts and leaders, the divide comes down to the duality between idealism and pragmatism — and how the candidates want to be perceived.
A democratic region
The first is very symbolic of the Democratic Party. Pennsylvania’s third congressional district is known as one of the most left-wing districts in the US.
According to The Cook Political Report, the district had a 40 percent higher national approval rating in the recent presidential election.
That gives the party its strongest foothold in a key state: Pennsylvania has swung between Democratic and Republican votes in the last four presidential contests, most recently siding with Trump.
Since 2016, Democrat Dwight Evans has represented the district. But in June, he announced that he would not seek re-election after a decade in Congress.
This paved the way for a heated primary, with no candidate leading the pack.
Street, Rabb and Stanford are considered the frontrunners. No independent polls have been conducted in the race, but polls collected by candidates or supporters show a three-way race.
An April poll sponsored by 314 Action, a Stanford advocacy group, found the doctor leading with 28 percent of voters, followed by Rabb at 23 percent and Street at 16 percent.
Meanwhile, a November poll sponsored by the Street found the state senator ahead with 22 percent, ahead of Rabb at 17 percent and Stanford at 11.
A three-way race
Each of the three positioned himself as a Democrat who would shake things up and deliver results.
“The same old politics and the same old politicians are not going to solve it,” Stanford said in an interview with public broadcaster WHYY in February.
“We need people who ride the storm, who lead when others leave, and that’s what I’ve done and will do in this city.”
There is a difference, however, in how candidates are presenting themselves.
Stanford is campaigning as a political guest whose public health advocacy provided critical leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is his first political visit.
On the other hand, Street is seen as a veteran politician with the support of the party leadership. He first entered the state Senate in 2017, becoming the first Muslim elected to the chamber, and his father was a former mayor of Philadelphia.
Then there’s Rabb, a Democrat who has shown himself to be a constant firebrand in the form of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
He, too, has been working in the government since 2017, representing northwest Philadelphia in the State House of Representatives.
All three have embraced broad appeals, such as increasing affordable housing, expanding access to health care, and ending Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), an agency accused of racism and violence.
But Street distanced himself by marrying his Democratic background. From 2022 to 2025, he served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.
“The street has a very strong relationship with the political machine here: the party establishment, ward leaders and committee people, and other councilors,” said Stier.
Helpers are getting rich
But amid disillusionment with the Democratic Party, especially after its defeat in the 2024 presidential race, street critics have sought to distance themselves from the left-wing establishment.
“Rabb is making it clear that his goal is to push the envelope on things and encourage people to pursue ideas that are stronger than the Street can advance,” Stier said.
But Stier acknowledges that some voters see progressives like Rabb as all talk and no action.
“As my ward leader says, Rabb is one of those people who talks a lot but doesn’t do a lot,” Stier said.
He dismisses such statements as hackneyed. “It’s the kind of tyranny that is created by activists who are outspoken and don’t always align with the parties in Harrisburg.”
But it’s an argument that Lou Agre, a ward leader and retired attorney, sympathizes with.
A former president of the Philadelphia Metal Trades Council, Agre is supporting Street in the upcoming election. He is not convinced that Rabb’s progressive position can produce tangible results.
“The road is always behind the working people,” Agre said.
For Agre, Street represents action, while Rabb is heavy on speech. “This is a competition between the guy who has the record and the other guy who has the platform that he’s using to make a point,” he said.
To improve
In many ways, local leaders say the differences between Tuesday’s nominees go back to familiar conflicts that often divide progressive Democrats.
The documents, among other things, have been translated into legalese – and behind-the-scenes battles.
Axios reported this month that Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro had privately warned real estate agencies that attacking Stanford could inadvertently help Rabb, who has been critical of the governor.
Rabb, meanwhile, has received endorsements from some of the country’s most progressive politicians, including Ocasio-Cortez, Representative Ilhan Omar and Senator Chris Van Hollen.
Street, by contrast, has been the target of many of Philadelphia’s biggest businesses, including labor unions, city council members and Mayor Cherelle Parker.
For his part, Stanford has received the endorsement of outgoing Congressman Evans, whom all three hope to win.
Tuesday’s primary will be important. The winners will win the general election in November. No Republicans have come forward to claim it.
But when the race is narrowly divided between the three candidates, the results can be narrowed down, and who will gain the most followers.
“If people come out to vote, if more people come to North and West Philadelphia, the southwest and the surrounding areas, then Sharif will win,” Agre said of his candidate. “If not, who knows what will happen?”
He also described Stanford, which some have described as a middle ground between Street and Rabb, as a competitive factor.
“Ala Stanford is a wild card. Is it fading, or does it still have its share of candidates? I don’t know,” Agre said.
Stier, meanwhile, acknowledged that each of the three has a path to success.
“There are pockets of support for everyone who wants it,” Stier said. But he thinks Street and Stanford’s more modest approach could pave the way for success for Rabb.
“The winner of this contest will not have a majority. Someone will win this contest with 35 to 40 percent of the votes,” he said.
“And I think the Rabb campaign is hoping that Stanford and Street will split the more centrist votes, and they’ll get all the progressive votes, and they’ll win that way.”
