Court challenges leave incumbent with only 2 rivals

In what has become the incredible shrinking primary, Democratic incumbent Rosita C. Youngblood has forced three opponents off Tuesday's ballot in the race to represent the 198th District.

Youngblood, who is completing her sixth two-year term, faces community activists Marc Stier and Latrice Y. Bryant after ousting candidates Curtis McAlister, Supreme Dow and Lamont Thomas from the race in recent weeks with court challenges to their ballot petitions.

"I'm feeling confident," Youngblood said in an interview this week.

Because there is no Republican challenger for the November general election, the winner of the Democratic primary is likely to be the next state representative. The office comes with a base annual salary of $66,204.

Stier, president of the West Mount Airy Neighbors community group, who survived a challenge to his petition, said Youngblood had "taken advantage of technicalities to knock candidates off the ballot."

Bryant, a former office manager for City Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., remained in the race yesterday while a challenge to her petition was pending. Bryant said that voters were "the real losers" in the court challenges.

At a candidates' forum Wednesday night at the Germantown Jewish Center on Ellett Street, Youngblood told an audience that the ousted candidates had themselves to blame for problems with their ballot petitions.

"I didn't do anything to anyone," she said. "They did it to themselves."

Youngblood touted legislation she has promoted to boost women and families. She pointed to her "Kinship Care" legislation, which encourages relatives to take responsibility for children in their extended family who need a home.

This measure "gives relatives the first option to care for foster children," she said, adding that the legislation helps keep families together.

Youngblood also cited a "forensic rape" bill she has promoted that allows free forensic exams and other medical treatment for women who have been victims of rape.

Stier, 48, who teaches a course called "Intellectual Heritage" at Temple University, cited his work in economic development with West Mount Airy Neighbors, noting that the group helped bring an Acme supermarket and a playground to Germantown Avenue.

Stier has a bachelor's degree from Wesleyan University and a doctorate from Harvard University, both in political science. He is married with an 11-year-old daughter. He said he had raised $40,000 in campaign money.

Stier said that if elected, he would focus on improving blocks throughout the district. "On nearly every block there is one or two houses that are in decline or occupied by drug dealers. If you take care of those few, you can improve the quality of life."

He said he would also push to have service cuts on SEPTA's R8 Regional Rail Line overturned and to have "day fares" established for the Route 23 bus to allow people to shop and conduct business along Germantown Avenue from the Tioga and Nicetown sections of the city to Chestnut Hill.

Bryant, 32, a lifelong resident of Germantown who is engaged to an Air Force major, said that she had spent about $8,000 of her own money on the campaign and that she was uncertain how much money she had raised.

She also planned to focus on economic development, particularly by offering services to small businesses. She said she would work to provide a range of services and information to senior citizens.

Bryant said she would focus on being available to constituents. Contending that Youngblood has not been very accessible to residents, Bryant said she would offer a 24-hour hotline and would return all constituent calls within a day.

Before entering politics, Youngblood, 58, worked as a bank officer and as a management specialist for the Philadelphia Housing Authority. She is divorced with two adult children and a 10-year-old adopted son. She earned a bachelor's degree from Antioch University. Youngblood said she had raised about $30,000 for her campaign.

Greg Paulmier, ward leader and committeeman in the 12th Ward, said that despite the competition, he thinks Youngblood will win handily, largely on votes from the lower parts of the district, including Germantown, Nicetown and Tioga.

"She's very family-minded," Paulmier said, citing her "forensic rape" and "Kinship Care" legislation. "This is what a single-parent legislator brings to the statehouse."