LJ Honoree Likely Philadelphia Mayor

By Norman Oder -- Library Journal, 6/15/2007

Former Philadelphia city councilman Michael Nutter, an LJ co–Politician of the Year in 2005 (see “The Rescuers,” LJ 9/15/05, p. cover, p. 30–31), won a hard-fought Democratic mayoral primary May 15, which is tantamount to election in the heavily Democratic city. Nutter and fellow councilman Frank DiCicco were honored for their efforts to restore funding to the Philadelphia Free Library so that branch hours would not be cut and branches would continue to be led by librarians, not paraprofessionals.

Nutter ran a reform campaign, winning 37 percent of the vote against candidates who had more name recognition, millions to spend, and the backing of unions and the Democratic Party machine. Somewhat unusual for a black politician, he ran equally well in majority-white and majority-black wards, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. On his campaign web site, Nutter touted his work in fighting the 2005 plan to shift 20 branch libraries to half-day service.