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Cherelle Parker won the Democratic primary for Philadelphia mayor on Tuesday (May 16), WPVI reports.
The 50-year-old Democrat has a long political history in Pennslyvania, serving as a state representative of northwest Philadelphia for 10 years and on the city council since 2015.
In the Democratic primary election, Parker faced a number of candidates vying to replace current mayor Jim Kenney (D), including Rebecca Rhynhart, Helen Gym, Allan Domb, Jeff Brown, Amen Brown, James Deleon, Delscia Gray, Warren Bloom, and Helen Gym, who was backed by Vermont U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Parker's win puts her on track to make history as Philadelphia's first woman mayor. She will face Republican David Oh in the Nov. 7 general election for mayor.
The former city councilmember didn't speak to supporters on Tuesday due to an "emergency," her campaign said. As of Wednesday (May 17), Parker is resting at home.
"Cherelle Parker left the hospital last night after receiving treatment for a dental issue that required immediate medical attention. Cherelle is resting at home and grateful for all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers she received. She hopes to be back out talking to Philadelphians and with press availability in the very near future," a statement from her campaign reads said.
As big cities across the nation grapple with crime, poverty, and inequality, Parker has pledged to "stop the sense of lawlessness that is plaguing our city" by increasing community policing. The primary winner called for officers to use every legal tool, including stopping someone when they have "just cause and reasonable suspicion."
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