Street-Katz duel for mayor possible again

Maybe they will call it "Street v. Katz: The Second Round."

Philadelphia Mayor John Street is gearing up to run for reelection next year -- and his campaign seems to think he will be facing the man he beat by the slimmest of margins in 1999.

Street, a Democrat, defeated Republican Sam Katz three years ago in the closest mayoral race in city history, and now Street spokesman Frank Keel calls the possibility of another Street-Katz battle "probable."

Katz, who now heads the business group Greater Philadelphia First, has so far been evasive about his plans, though he is reportedly seriously thinking about running again.

"In the general election, the name on everybody's tongue is Sam Katz, and Sam is sending mixed signals," Keel said. "It's a coin toss whether or not he'll throw his hat in the ring again... Sam is a legitimate challenger."

Katz ran a strong campaign in 1999, winning over many Democrats who disliked Street, and observers have been speculating about his political future ever since.

But before he can worry about taking on Katz, Street may also face opposition in the Democratic primary in May. The two names mentioned most frequently have been City Councilman Michael Nutter and State Representative Dwight Evans.

Nutter has so far refused to comment on his intentions. He did not return repeated phone calls this week.

Evans will not say whether he plans to run until next week, after elections for legislative committee chairs are over.

"He hasn't made any public comment one way or the other and he won't until after" Nov. 26, Evans spokesman Kim Turner said.

However, the Street camp is not particularly worried about a challenge from Nutter or Evans. Keel said that Evans has a history of losing to Street and that Nutter probably will not run.

Evans "ran in the primary three-and-a-half, four years ago and was a distant also-ran to Mayor Street," Keel said.

As for Nutter, "I just don't think from what he has said and from what we have heard that he will take a shot this time around... [Nutter will probably] wait for another mayoral cycle."

Councilman James Kenney's name was also mentioned as a possible Democratic contender, but he has decided not to run because "he does not want to be perceived as exploiting the city's racial divide," according to a statement from Kenney aide John Hawkins.

Kenney is white, while Street, as well as Evans and Nutter, are black.

But Kenney, whose animosity toward Street is quite public, does believe that the city needs new leadership.

"Councilman Kenney believes that it is time that someone step up and address the urgent needs of our city.... The current administration is not doing so," Hawkins wrote.

In addition to Katz, there may be another high-profile candidate for the GOP nomination -- Councilman Frank Rizzo, one of the only Philadelphia Republicans whose name recognition rivals Katz's.

Rizzo, the son of the controversial former mayor by the same name, has not officially declared his intentions to run for the Republican nomination, but he already sounds a lot like a candidate.

"We're going to learn by some other people's mistakes and we're also going to do things by some other people's successes," Rizzo said last week. "I know how to get things accomplished and that's what I'm good at here in Council. If I had more resources, like a mayor, I could help a lot more people."

Street's camp is confident about the incumbent's chances, even if he has to face the popular Katz again.

"What's different this time around in our estimation is [in 1999]... neither had ever served as mayor before so they were both starting from the same clean slate," Keel said. Now, however, Street has done "an extraordinary number of very positive things for this city that are going to be hard for Sam Katz or any other challenger to refute."

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