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A coalition of leftist organizations and elected officials in Philadelphia has formally endorsed state Rep. Chris Rabb in his campaign for Congress, positioning him as the progressive favorite to succeed longtime U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans.
At a press conference announcing the endorsement, speakers from groups including the Working Families Party, Democratic Socialists of America, Reclaim Philadelphia and OnePA framed Rabb’s candidacy as part of a broader movement to challenge establishment politics and elevate working-class leadership.
Philadelphia City Councilmember Nicholas O’Rourke, a member of the Working Families Party, opened the event by praising Rabb’s legislative record and approach to “the fights that matter most.”
“He has challenged corporate power when it has come at the expense of working families,” O’Rourke said. “He has advanced social justice, not as a slogan but as a responsibility.”
Contrasting from Democrats
Other speakers drew sharper contrasts with establishment Democrats, arguing that the moment demands a more confrontational, movement-driven form of politics.
Deborah Rose Hinchey, of the Philly DSA, said the campaign reflects growing momentum for democratic socialist candidates.
“We know that the only way we win is when poor and working people organize to protect ourselves,” she said. “We reject the Democratic establishment’s attempts to divide us by race, by politics or by where we come from. We reject their excuses, and we reject the kind of politics that only work when working people are weak and divided and silenced.”
Kendra Brooks, also a Working Families Party council member, called Rabb “the progressive choice for the 3rd Congressional District” and highlighted his long-standing advocacy in Harrisburg.
“We need leaders in Washington who will put the people first,” she said. “And Chris Rabb is the person for us.”
Speakers repeatedly emphasized Rabb’s refusal to accept funding from corporate political action committees as a defining feature of his campaign. Seth Anderson Oberman, executive director of Reclaim Philadelphia, said that independence is critical in the current political climate.
“Chris Rabb is accountable to us,” Oberman said. “In an era when Donald Trump and his billionaire backers are trying to snuff out whatever is left of our democracy… that independence is not just admirable, it’s essential.”
Nydea Graves, of One PA, echoed that urgency, calling Rabb “the only obvious choice for progressives in Philadelphia” and arguing that “this is no time for business as usual.”
When Rabb took the stage, he leaned into the movement framing of his campaign.
“It’s not about me. It’s about we,” he said. “We the people.”
Rabb pointed to his decadelong record in office and his alignment with progressive groups that helped elect national figures like members of “the Squad,” the furthest-left faction of the Democratic caucus. He also positioned his campaign as a response to what he described as overlapping economic and political crises.
“Our country is in crisis,” Rabb said, citing “rising authoritarianism, out-of-control corporate greed, rampant bigotry and dangerous wars.”
He argued that working families are being squeezed while government priorities remain misaligned.
“Instead of spending $200 billion to drop bombs on Iran, we should be spending that money for universal health care … guaranteed housing and jobs … and support for public schools,” he said.