Philadelphia Battlefields
Disruptive Campaigns and Upset Elections in a Changing City

PB: $37.95
EAN: 978-1-4399-1972-9
Publication: Aug 20
HC: $115.50
EAN: 978-1-4399-1971-2
Publication: Aug 20
Ebook: $37.95
EAN: 978-1-4399-1973-6
Publication: Aug 20
340 pages
6 x 9
35 tables, 12 halftones, 23 maps
How upstart political candidates achieved spectacular successes over Philadelphia’s entrenched political establishment
Read the Introduction (pdf).Description
Should the surprisingly successful outcomes achieved by outsider candidates in Philadelphia elections be interpreted as representing fundamental changes in the local political environment, or simply as one-off victories, based largely on serendipitous circumstances that advanced individual political careers? John Kromer’s insightful Philadelphia Battlefields considers key local campaigns undertaken from 1951 to 2019 that were extraordinarily successful despite the opposition of the city’s political establishment.
Kromer draws on election data and data-mapping tools that explain these upset elections as well as the social, economic, and demographic trends that influenced them to tell the story of why these campaign strategies were successful. He deftly analyzes urban political dynamics through case studies of newcomer Rebecca Rhynhart’s landslide victory over a veteran incumbent for Philadelphia City Controller; activist Chaka Fattah’s effective use of grassroots organizing skills to win a seat in Congress; and Maria Quiñones-Sánchez’s hard-fought struggle to become the first Hispanic woman to win a City Council seat, among others.
Philadelphia Battlefields
Reviews
" (A) must read for anyone interested in Philadelphia politics. Its detailed observations and thoughtful analysis are likely to be of interest to political scientists and historians." ."
— The Chestnut Hill Local
" (A) must read for anyone who enjoys the history of Philadelphia politics, and/or wants to understand why some campaigns win, and some do not.... Of particular value is the analysis of political upsets. Kromer points out several common characteristics that come into play when an unknown candidate beats a well-funded opponent, especially an incumbent."
— The Philadelphia Public Record
"The book is a good resource for any Philadelphian who wants to understand our city better. But if you want to challenge the status quo—whether as an outsider worki
ng to influence policy and political leaders, or by aiming for public office—Philadelphia Battlefields is essential reading."
—The Shuttle
“‘All politics is local,’ Tip O’Neill famously said, and I can think of no better guide to the local politics of Philadelphia than John Kromer. In Philadelphia Battlefields, he takes us through a series of ‘disruptive campaigns’ and makes a compelling case for what they can teach us today. Kromer balances details that will appeal to political junkies with the wisdom that he has accumulated over the years as one of the city’s most distinguished public servants. And his message is clear: politics in Philadelphia will only be as effective as you and I are committed to making it.”
—Steven Conn, W. E. Smith Professor of History, Miami University, and author of Metropolitan Philadelphia: Living with the Presence of the Past
"Kromer’s analysis of Philadelphia’s political and electoral dynamics is impressive. There has been much written and said on the surface about successful and unsuccessful political campaigns by insurgent candidates since the 1950s, but Kromer’s linkage of mobilization strategies and activism to the electoral process is new and engaging. The rigor of his analysis of voting data, coupled with his own insights, brings a needed richness to the story. Philadelphia Battlefields should inspire citizens to be more politically aware and engaged in their local and state elections as well as at the grassroots level.”
—David L. Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President, Comcast Corporation
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: The Bold Ones
Part II: Driving the New Machines
Part III: Common Threads
Notes Index