![\"Sharif](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3rd-congressional-district-forum-2026-02-09-1.jpg\")
State Sen. Sharif Street speaks at a forum in Center City for candidates running for Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd Congressional District. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky\/WHYY)<\/p>\nSharif Street, veteran lawmaker with party support<\/p>\n
State Sen. Sharif Street speaks at a forum in Center City for candidates running for Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd Congressional District. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky\/WHYY)<\/p>\n
Street was the first to announce his candidacy, making the announcement just two days after Evans announced his retirement. Street may have the most name recognition among Democrats as the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street and former chair of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party.\n<\/p>\n
A civil rights and housing attorney, he was first elected to the state Senate in 2016, representing parts of North Philadelphia. In Harrisburg, he built a profile as an advocate for criminal justice reform, voting rights and health care access. Street helped advance the 2019 legislation<\/a> that created Pennie, the state\u2019s health insurance marketplace for commonwealth residents enrolled in coverage under the Affordable Care Act. He has sought to officially repeal the death penalty<\/a> in the state and sued the Trump<\/a> administration over challenges to Pennsylvania\u2019s vote-by-mail process.\n<\/p>\n Expanding health care access is at the top of his platform<\/a>. He also wants to legalize marijuana and \u201cend the war on drugs\u201d by reducing \u201cpunitive sentencing\u201d and shifting investments to creating more economic opportunities. He became particularly active on gun violence after his nephew was killed<\/a> in 2021.\n<\/p>\n Street has argued that his legislative record and ability to make bipartisan deals in a Republican-controlled state Senate make him the most effective choice to represent the district in Washington, D.C.\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been prime sponsor on a number of bills that have gone to the governor\u2019s desk, including the [Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange],\u201d he said at a forum in February<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n Street\u2019s endorsements include Democratic standard bearers such as the Philadelphia Democratic Party, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and several local Democratic wards. He is also endorsed by several local trades unions including the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, Steamfitters Local 420, Plumbers Local 690 and the PA Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals.\n<\/p>\n Chris Rabb, progressive legislator pushing structural change<\/p>\n Rabb is seen as the more progressive candidate in the Democratic primary. He has represented parts of Northwest Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania House since 2017 and built a reputation as an outspoken advocate for racial justice<\/a>, economic equity, public education and government reform.\n<\/p>\n A Philadelphia native, Rabb previously worked as an aide to Sen. Carol Moseley Braun and served on the White House Conference on Small Business during the Clinton administration. He later became a researcher and educator focusing on social entrepreneurship and wrote the book \u201cInvisible Capital: How Unseen Forces Shape Entrepreneurial Opportunity.\u201d\n<\/p>\n During his time in Harrisburg, Rabb has introduced legislation on issues ranging from reparations<\/a> and wealth inequality to environmental justice, fully funding public schools<\/a> and expanding access to affordable housing.\n<\/p>\n Rabb has positioned himself as an independent-minded reformer willing to challenge party leadership and push for structural change.\n<\/p>\n \u201cCentrism is not going to save us,\u201d he said at a press conference<\/a> in March. \u201cWe need real change, not another status quo politician who gives us more of the same. We need to elect a movement candidate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Rabb\u2019s endorsements have largely come from progressive activists and grassroots organizations rather than the traditional Democratic establishment. He has the support of the Working Families Party, Philadelphia Democratic Socialists of America, Justice Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus<\/a>. U.S. Rep. Summer Lee and state Rep. Nikil Saval have also individually endorsed him.\n<\/p>\n His campaign has emphasized small-dollar fundraising, movement politics and building a coalition of younger voters, reform-minded Democrats and residents looking for a more openly progressive voice in Congress. His platform includes guaranteed housing, \u201cMedicare for All,\u201d universal basic income, livable wages and publicly owned grocery stores.\n<\/p>\n Ala Stanford, health care leader and outsider<\/p>\n Stanford is a physician, entrepreneur and public health advocate best known for founding the Black Doctors Consortium<\/a> during the pandemic. A graduate of Pennsylvania State University and the Temple University School of Medicine, Stanford built her career as a pediatric surgeon and health care executive. She gained national recognition in 2020 after organizing mobile testing and vaccination<\/a> efforts in underserved communities across Philadelphia and beyond.\n<\/p>\n Stanford later served as a regional director<\/a> for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services during the Biden administration, overseeing public health initiatives across the Mid-Atlantic. Her public profile has centered on health care equity, maternal health, economic opportunity and expanding access to high-quality care.\n<\/p>\n In the race for Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd Congressional District, Stanford has presented herself as an outsider candidate whose leadership during the pandemic demonstrated an ability to deliver during a crisis.\n<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a Democratic seat, but it matters who we elect to serve us,\u201d she said at a forum in February<\/a>. \u201cThe same old politics and the same old politicians are not going to cut it. We need people who step up in a storm, who lead when others wilt away, and that\u2019s what I\u2019ve done and will do for this city. When our government failed us during COVID, I stepped up and delivered results for Philadelphia.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Stanford has centered her platform on expanding affordable health care, protecting reproductive rights, supporting small businesses and investing in public education and neighborhood development. She has also emphasized improving maternal health, preventing gun violence and addressing racial disparities in health care outcomes.\n<\/p>\n Stanford\u2019s endorsements include<\/a> retiring incumbent U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Chrissy Houlahan, EMILYs List and 314 Action Fund, a national group that backs doctors and candidates in scientific fields.\n<\/p>\n Shaun Griffith, low-profile outsider candidate<\/p>\n Griffith is a tax attorney and public-sector employee running as a Democratic outsider in the race. A Philadelphia resident since 2009, Griffith says he has lived in West and South Philadelphia and built a small tax business in Roxborough. His platform emphasizes<\/a> universal health care, fair wages, civil liberties and environmental protections.\n<\/p>\n Unlike his higher-profile rivals, Griffith has limited institutional backing and far lower name recognition.\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sharif Street, veteran lawmaker with party support State Sen. Sharif Street speaks at a forum in Center City…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[25694,69,71,70],"class_list":{"0":"post-173705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-philadelphia","8":"tag-elections-2026","9":"tag-philadelphia","10":"tag-philadelphia-headlines","11":"tag-philadelphia-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=173705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/173705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=173705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=173705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=173705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"State](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1776938486_349_10-30-2025-k-paynter-1200x-sz-francis-harper-mural-5.jpg\")
Pa. House Rep. Chris Rabb talked about the keeping the legacy and stories of activists going at the We Are All Bound Up Together mural event at the Greene Street Friends School on October 30, 2025. (Kimberly Paynter\/WHYY)<\/p>\n![\"Ala](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/3rd-congressional-district-forum-2026-02-09-7.jpg\")
Dr. Ala Stanford speaks at a forum in Center City for candidates running for Pennsylvania\u2019s 3rd Congressional District. (Carmen Russell-Sluchansky\/WHYY)<\/p>\n![\"Shaun](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/shaun-griffith-pa-race-2026.jpg\")
Shaun Griffith (Campaign website)<\/p>\n