Cherelle Parker is the first female mayor of Philadelphia, elected in November 2023. She is a former state representative and city council member. She was previously married to Ben Mullins, an IBEW union leader, and they have a son named Langston. However, she is currently unmarried. The article you shared discusses her personal and political background, as well as some of the challenges and opportunities she faces as the mayor of the fifth-largest city in the US. Here are some of the key points from the article:
- Parker was born in Philadelphia to a teenage mother who died when Parker was 11. She was raised by her grandparents, a disabled Navy veteran and a domestic worker.
- Parker started her political career as an intern for City Councilmember Marian Tasco, who later became her mentor and supporter.
- Parker served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2005 to 2015, representing the 200th district in Northwest Philadelphia. She was the youngest Black woman ever elected to the state legislature and the chair of the Philadelphia delegation for five years.
- Parker was elected to the Philadelphia City Council in 2015, succeeding Tasco as the representative of the ninth district. She was re-elected in 2019 and became the majority leader in 2020.
- Parker resigned from the City Council in September 2022 and announced her candidacy for the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election. She won the Democratic primary in May 2023, defeating seven other candidates, including progressive challengers and former allies.
- Parker ran on a platform of public safety, economic recovery, education, and equity. She pledged to hire more police officers, reinstate a constitutional stop-and-frisk policy, invest in infrastructure and small businesses, expand pre-K and after-school programs, and address the racial and social disparities in the city.
- Parker faced Republican David Oh, a city council member and the only Asian American elected official in Philadelphia, in the general election. She won by a wide margin, receiving 72% of the vote, and became the first woman and the 100th mayor of Philadelphia.
- Parker faces several challenges as the mayor of Philadelphia, such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the high crime rate, the fiscal crisis, the opioid epidemic, the homelessness problem, and the tense relations with the city’s labor unions.
- Parker also has several opportunities to make history as the mayor of Philadelphia, such as leading the city’s recovery and growth, advancing the rights and interests of women and minorities, collaborating with other local and national leaders, and inspiring the next generation of Philadelphians.
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