It’s the end of the line of the congressional campaign for Rep. Morgan Cephas.
The state representative from the 192nd Legislative District in Philadelphia ended her campaign to succeed Rep. Dwight Evans in the 3rd Congressional District on Friday.
“I have made the tough decision to exit the race for the 3rd Congressional District,” Cephas said in a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer on Friday. “I want to thank the thousands of Philadelphians who supported my campaign, my staff, and the countless volunteers who worked tirelessly for the campaign.”
Her departure leaves six candidates vying for the position – state Sen. Sharif Street, Rep. Chris Rabb, Ala Stanford, Cole Carter, Karl Morris, and Naderah Griffin. The district is one of the most left-leaning in the country.
Cephas represents West Philadelphia and is widely respected as a legislator, but struggled to find traction in the fundraising arena. She raised just over $85,000 in Q4 which was seventh among the announced candidates.
A source close to the campaign told the Inquirer that she is not endorsing any candidate at this time. She remains a candidate for reelection in HD-192.
“I thank all of the wards, churches, and community organizations that hosted candidate forums which allowed a voice that believed we could change our community, while demanding more from those in elected office be heard,” said the 41-year-old Cephas in her statement.