James Kenney

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James Kenney

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Philadelphia City Council At-large

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Mayor of Philadelphia

Successor: Cherelle Parker

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Report an officeholder change

Education

High school

Saint Joseph's Preparatory School

Bachelor's

La Salle University

James Kenney (Democratic Party) was the Mayor of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. He assumed office on January 4, 2016. He left office on January 1, 2024.

Kenney (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for Mayor of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. He won in the general election on November 5, 2019.

Biography

Kenney is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended St. Joseph's Preparatory School. Kenney graduated from La Salle University.

Elections

2023

See also: Mayoral election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2023)

James Kenney was not able to file for re-election due to term limits.

2019

See also: Mayoral election in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2019)

General election

General election for Mayor of Philadelphia

Incumbent James Kenney defeated William Ciancaglini in the general election for Mayor of Philadelphia on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Kenney (D)	80.0	213,390
		William Ciancaglini (R)	19.7	52,537
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	724

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 266,651
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia

Incumbent James Kenney defeated Anthony Williams and Alan Butkovitz in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 21, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Kenney	66.9	133,966
		Anthony Williams	24.3	48,672
		Alan Butkovitz	8.8	17,517

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 200,155
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia

William Ciancaglini advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Philadelphia on May 21, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		William Ciancaglini	99.6	17,291
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	68

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,359
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Candidate profile

James Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia

Party: Democratic

Incumbent: Yes

Political office: Mayor of Philadelphia (Assumed office: 2016), Philadelphia City Council (1992-2015)

Biography: Kenney graduated from La Salle University in 1980. He was first elected to the city council in 1991 and served until he resigned in 2015 to run for mayor. While on the city council, Kenney chaired the Labor & Civil Service, Law & Government, and Environment committees.

Key messages

• Kenney emphasized his education policy, saying that in his first term the city expanded access to pre-K, regained control of city schools from the state, and raised teacher pay.

• Kenney said that he launched several infrastructure programs during his first term, including spending on affordable housing and Rebuild, which Kenney described as "the most ambitious infrastructure program in Philadelphia’s history."

• Kenney emphasized what he described as his progressive policies, including an increase in the minimum wage for city employees and contractors to $15 per hour, the city's status as a sanctuary city, and a declaration that Philadelphia would abide by the terms of the Paris Climate Agreement.

2015

See also: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania municipal elections, 2015

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, held elections for mayor and city council on November 3, 2015. A primary election took place on May 19, 2015. The filing deadline for candidates who wished to run in this election was March 10, 2015. In the Democratic primary for mayor, James Kenney defeated Anthony Williams, T. Milton Street, Doug Oliver, Nelson Diaz and Lynne Abraham. In the Republican primary, Melissa Lynn Bailey ran unopposed. Kenney defeated Bailey, Socialist Workers Party candidate Osborne Hart and Independent candidates James Foster and Boris Kindij in the general election. Incumbent Michael Nutter (D) was ineligible to run for re-election after two terms due to term limits.

Mayor of Philadelphia, General election, 2015
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	James Kenney	85.4%	203,730
	Republican	Melissa Lynn Bailey	13.2%	31,563
	Independent	James Foster	0.7%	1,713
	Socialist Workers	Osborne Hart	0.5%	1,234
	Independent	Boris Kindij	0.1%	321
		Write-in votes	0.04%	103
Total Votes				238,664
Source: City of Philadelphia, "Official general election results," accessed November 23, 2015

Mayor of Philadelphia Democratic Primary, 2015
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
James Kenney	55.8%	130,775
Anthony Williams	26.1%	61,160
Lynne Abraham	8.4%	19,782
Doug Oliver	4.2%	9,934
Nelson Diaz	3.7%	8,691
T. Milton Street	1.7%	3,937
Write-in	0%	24
Total Votes		234,303
Source: Philadelphia City Commissioners, "Historical Election Results," accessed August 24, 2015

Campaign themes

2019

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James Kenney did not complete Ballotpedia's 2019 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Kenney's campaign website stated the following:

“	Mayor Kenney's Progressive Record Created PHLpreK to provide access to free, quality pre-K for thousands of mostly low-income children. Took back control of Philadelphia’s public schools from the state so that for the first time in almost 20 years, the School District is led by a locally-appointed Board of Education. Increased funding for our public schools by over half a billion dollars. Gave public school teachers their first contract and pay raise in five years. Launched Rebuild, the most ambitious infrastructure program in Philadelphia’s history, to improve city parks, libraries and recreational centers. Created 12 Community Schools to provide essential resources and support services in the neighborhoods they serve. Safely decreased Philadelphia’s local jail population by over 40% – effectively depopulating the City’s House of Correction. Raised the minimum wage to $15/hr for all City employees and contractors. Increased the Fire Department’s budget by tens of millions to hire additional firefighters and replace the department’s aging vehicle fleet. Ended the City’s cooperation with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and defeated the Trump Administration’s attempt to deny federal funds to welcoming cities like Philadelphia that provide equal protection to all its citizens – regardless of their immigration status. Maintained Philadelphia’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement. Invested tens of millions in creating new affordable housing. Led the fight to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. Initiated an emergency response to the opioid epidemic – utilizing a wide range of innovative services to close homeless encampments in Kensington and connect individuals to housing and treatment.	”
—Kenney for Philadelphia

2015

In a Q&A series with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Kenney gave answers on the following issues. All quotes below are excerpts.

School Financing

“

I put forward a plan that will provide $105 million in funding, without requiring state legislative action, by implementing zero-based budgeting, establishing a reverse-auction procurement system, selling marketable commercial tax liens, and increasing the value of tax-abated and unimproved land.

”

School Governance

“

I would like to work with the General Assembly and Gov. Wolf to create a hybrid model that allows experienced Philadelphia parents with a vested interest in the success of our public schools to be appointed to the SRC.

”

Ethics

“

Yes, I am fully in favor of making the Office of Inspector General a permanent part of our city government.

”

Pensions

“

The city’s current pension problems have been decades in the making, so it is going to take time, fiscal discipline, and collaboration to continue to dig out of this hole. That starts with negotiating a contract with our municipal unions that is fair both to the taxpayers and our city workers.

”

Safety

“

will expand the use of proven methods like focused deterrence, which foster a positive relationship between police officers and citizens and drive down instances of violent crimes. A small number of individuals are responsible for the majority of gun violence in our city, and the programs implemented within focused deterrence identifies these individuals and addresses the factors that lead to their violent behavior.

”

Poverty

“

As mayor, I will also develop a greater partnership between Philadelphia’s business community and the Community College of Philadelphia to improve the curriculum so that students are getting the training and skills necessary to get a job after two years of study.

”

Taxes

“

Philadelphia’s wage and business taxes are regressive and they hamper our ability to attract businesses and create jobs. I fully support the plan circulated by the Job Growth Coalition, headed by Paul Levy and others, to shift away from wage and business taxes and, instead, to increase revenue through a higher tax rate for commercial properties.

”

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by James Kenney

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Elizabeth Warren  source	President of the United States (2020)		Withdrew in Convention
Hillary Clinton  source  (D)	President of the United States (2016)	Primary	Lost General

Notable ballot measure endorsements by James Kenney

Measure	Position	Outcome
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Question 1, Office for People with Disabilities Amendment (November 2023)  source	Support	Approved

Noteworthy events

Events and activity following the death of George Floyd

See also: Events following the death of George Floyd and responses in select cities from May 29-31, 2020

Kenney was mayor of Philadelphia during the weekend of May 29-31, 2020, when events and activity took place in cities across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd. Events in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began on Saturday, May 30, 2020 at the city hall. The same day, Mayor James Kenney (D) instituted a curfew and Gov. Tom Wolf (D) declared a disaster emergency. On May 31, the Pennsylvania National Guard was deployed to the city.

To read more about the death of George Floyd and subsequent events, click [show] to the right.

On May 25, 2020, Minneapolis police officers arrested Floyd, a Black man, after receiving a call that he had made a purchase with a counterfeit $20 bill. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, arrived at the scene and pressed his knee onto Floyd's neck as Floyd laid face-down on the street in handcuffs. Both the Hennepin County Medical Examiner and an independent autopsy conducted by Floyd's family ruled Floyd's death as a homicide stemming from the incident. The medical examiner's report, prepared by Dr. Michael Baden and Dr. Allecia Wilson, said that it was "not a legal determination of culpability or intent, and should not be used to usurp the judicial process." On April 20, 2021, Chauvin was found guilty of murder and manslaughter in relation to Floyd's death. Floyd's death was filmed and shared widely, leading to activity regarding racism, civil rights, and police use of force. The first events took place in Minneapolis-St. Paul on May 26. An event in Chicago organized by Chance the Rapper and Rev. Michael Pfleger took place the same day, making it the first major city outside of Minneapolis to host an event in response to Floyd's death.

See also

2019 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Mayor of Philadelphia 2016-2024	Succeeded by Cherelle Parker (D)
Preceded by -	Philadelphia City Council At-large 1992-2015	Succeeded by -