Folks, this is an exciting moment! Though no longer an actively writing journalist, I still feel responsible to share with you the highlights from the write-in votes from the Philadelphia area each election cycle. It’s a calling and a passion, so I’ve continued compiling said report in my post-journalist days.
Just today, I received the write-in votes cast in November’s general election in Philadelphia. You know, the one in which Philly and surrounding counties saved the world from authoritarianism? (Thanks so much, old friends at the City Commissioners‘ and County Board of Elections offices. I miss you and am so sorry you’re dealing with death threats and whatnot for the sin of doing your jobs and upholding the tenets of democracy).
Having perused the 164-page report, I will now share with you the quirky highlights, presented in by-race form. I’ll bold some names so they pop out of the list.
Top-level observation: voters took the POTUS race seriously, and worked their write-in preferences in down-ballot. Also, Kanye drew a lot of votes, as did Gritty! Both are equally serious insofar as their political standing.
Thank you.
God bless.
Trump is, and will always be, a loser.
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
(Most: Howie Hawkins with 381)
Bernie Sanders, 198
Kanye West 191
Andrew Yang 43
Tulsi Gabbard 40
Jesus Christ 12
Hillary Clinton 11
Nikki Haley 9
Elizabeth Warren 8
Michelle Obama 6
Anthony Fauci 5
Dwayne Johnson 5
Joe Rogan 5
Condoleezza Rice 4
Marianne Williamson 4
Susan Collins 4
Tim Scott 4
Vermin Supreme 4
Colin Powell 3
Mark Cuban 3
Pete Buttigieg 3
AOC 2
Andrew Cuomo 2
Anita Hill 2
Ben Carson 2
Bill Gates 2
Breonna Taylor 2
Cornell West 2
Kamala Harris 2
Paul Ryan 2
Ralph Nader 2
With one vote: Bam Margera, Bill Burr and Bomani Jones, Daniel Levy, Edward Snowden, Fanny Lou Hamer, Gritty, Harry Styles, Ice Cube, Ilhan Omar, Joseph Stalin, Keanu Reeves, Magdalena Jagla Ciccone, Michael Murphy, Mike Tyson, Montgomery Brewster, Neil Diamond, Paddington Bear, R19 Boddie, Rob Zombie, Sean Connery, Stevie Ray Vaughan
ATTORNEY GENERAL (Most: Philly DA Larry Krasner with 25)
Kanye West 13
Gritty 5
Bernie Sanders 3
George Floyd 2
Harambe 2
With one vote: DK Metcalf, GG Allin, Han Solo, Jeff Goldblum, Louis Farrakhan, Sean Connery, Meek Mill
AUDITOR GENERAL (Most: Cavance Snaith with 19)
Al Schmidt 2
Jesus Christ 2
With one vote: Babe Ruth, Bill Murray, Charlie Manuel, Dave Grohl, David Koresh, Gritty, Harambe, Harry Styles, Jimmy Hoffa, Kevin Hart, Obi Wan Kenobi, Swamp Thing
STATE TREASURER (Most: Kanye West with 6)
Gritty 3
Jesus Christ 2
With one vote: Babe Ruth, Eddie Veder, Elon Musk, Harry Styles, Karl Marx, Kevin Hart, Mumia, Piccadilly Circus Cat, Richard Sphincter, Tinkerbell
Super Mario Bros.
Credit: Nintendo
U.S. REP., 2ND DISTRICT
(Most: State Rep./City GOP boss Martina White with 11)
Gritty 3
Bernie Sanders 2
With one vote: Allen Iverson, Bob Saget, Herman Cain, John Cena, Kanye, Old Kanye, Super Mario
U.S. REP., 3ND DISTRICT
(Most: City Councilwoman/possible next mayor Helen Gym with 30)
Gritty 13
Bernie 4
Harambe 2
Karl Marx 2
With one vote: Allen Iverson, Arthur Embiid, Carter Hart, DJ Khaled, Daniel Tosh, Eddie Van Halen, Foghorn Leghorn, GG Allin, Groot, Hunter Biden, Hunter Thompson, Jerry Seinfeld, Joel Embiid, John Coltrane, John Spagnola, Kanye, Kim Jong Un, Mel Blanc, Michael Render (Killer Mike), Recep Tayyip Ergodan, Sebastian Letoux
STATE SENATE, 1ST DISTRICT
(Most: former officeholder Larry Farnese with 152)
Kanye 30
Gritty 20
Vince Fumo 8
Carson Wentz 7
Frank Rizzo 5
Ben Shapiro 4
Bernie Sanders 3
Alex Jones 2
Allen Iverson 2
Chase Utley 2
Donald Trump Jr. 2
Homer Simpson 2
Nick Saban 2
Pat Burrell 2
Phillie Phanatic 2
Rocky Balboa 2
With one vote: Abe Lincoln, Alex Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Benito Mussolini, Bradley Cooper, BRIAN HICKEY!!!!!!!, Bruce Lee, Carter Hart, Danny Devito, David Bowie, David Letterman, Eddie Vedder, Flying Spaghetti Monster, Fox Mulder, Frank Reynolds, GG Allin, Gary Busey, Harambe, Indiana Jones, Jay Cutler, Joel Embiid, John Galt, Ken Bone, Leslie Knope, Michael Murphy, Nick Foles, Phil Jabooty, Ron Jaworski, Roo Hunt, Sean Connery, Travis Fulgham, Vladimir Putin, Von Hayes
STATE SENATE, 3rd DISTRICT (Most: Gritty with 9)
Kanye 7
James Bond 2
T Milton Street 2
Yoda 2
With one vote: Ben Franklin, Ben Shapiro, Billy Madison, Bob the Builder, Flapjacks A Lobster, George of the Jungle, Homer Simpson, Joel Embiid, John Nepotism, Kim Jong Un, Leon Trotsky, My Fish Mr. Jitters, Rob Zombie, Spock, Ted Nugent
STATE SENATE, 5th DISTRICT (Most: Ross Feinberg with 21)
Kanye 16
Aaron Bashir 15
Gritty 6
John McNesby 4
Harambe 3
Nick Foles 3
Dan Bongino 2
Elmo 2
Quailman 2
Sylvester Stallone 2
Vermin Supreme 2
With one vote: Alfred E Newman, Baba Booey, Barney the Dinosaur, Ben Shapiro, Bike Lanes Jr., Boaty McBoatface, Bruce Wayne, Curious George, Easter Bunny, Edward Snowden, Elmer Fudd, Frank Rizzo, Fred Trump, Harry Ballsack, Joe Exotic, Kathleen Kane, Mumia, Pussy Willow, Rex Ryan, Sam Hinkie, The Child, Wile E Coyote,
STATE SENATE, 7th DISTRICT (Most: Kanye with 14)
Gritty 9
Bryce Harper 2
Ronald McDonald 2
Sean Connery 2
With one vote: Baby Yoda, Blarkie the Cat, Brandon Flowers, Candace Owens, Charles Barkley, Chris Rock, Eddie Van Halen, Elvis, Hillary Clinton, Hunter Biden, Joe Rogan, Julius Caesar, Leslie Knope, Manute Bol, Matthew McConaghey, Morgan Freeman, Mumia, Yoda
STATE REP., 172ND DISTRICT (Most: Martina White with 6)
Gritty 1
STATE REP., 173rd DISTRICT (Most: Martina White with 12)
Gritty 2
With one vote: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Eric Cartman, Harry Ballsack, Kanye, Mickey Mantle, Phillie Phanatic,
STATE REP., 174th DISTRICT (Most: Martina White with 15)
Gritty 3
With one vote: Baba Booey, Bill Cosby, Charlie Kirk, Elon Musk, Frank Rizzo, Glen Beck, Kanye, Mark Twain, Nick Foles, Ted Nugent, The Child, Vermin Supreme, Wile E Coyote, Wonder Woman
STATE REP., 175th DISTRICT (Most: Vanessa McGrath with 12)
Kanye 8
Gritty 2
With one vote: Bernie Sanders, Carson Wentz, Claude Giroux, Eddie Vedder, Gus the Groundhog, Homer Simpson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Joe Pesci, Joel Embiid, Kyle Rittenhouse, Mike Schmidt, Ron Swanson, Travis Fulgham,
STATE REP., 177th DISTRICT (Most: Void with 2)
With one vote: Aloysius Snuffleupagus, Ben Stiller, Bernie Sanders, Gritty, Long Live Lee, Rick Grimes, Snoop Dogg
STATE REP., 179th DISTRICT (Most: Danilo Burgos with 5)
With one vote: Frank Rizzo, Limu Emu
STATE REP., 180th DISTRICT
(Most: City CouncilwomanMaria Quinones Sanchez with 8)
Gritty 3
With one vote: Candace Owens, Elmer Fudd, Harambe, Kanye, Lebron James, Will Smith
STATE REP., 181st DISTRICT (Most: Donald Trump with 4)
Dave Portnoy 2
Gritty 2
Kanye 2
With one vote: Asher Roth, Chase Utley, Dwayne Johnson, Frank Ocean, Frank Rizzo, Seymore Butts
STATE REP., 182nd DISTRICT (Most: Marisa Shaaban with 16)
Gritty 3
With one vote: Billy Zabka, Brad Pitt, Carter Hart
STATE REP., 184th DISTRICT (Most: Void with 3)
With one vote: Bristol Palin, Gritty
STATE REP., 185th DISTRICT (Most: Maria Donatucci with 17)
Kanye 3
Gritty 2
With one vote: Allen Iverson, Baby Yoda, Ben Shapiro, Jerry Sandusky, Nick Foles
STATE REP., 186th DISTRICT (Most: Gritty with 6)
Kanye 5
John Cena 2
With one vote: Alex Jones, Ben Shapiro, Captain Crunch, Captain Sensible, Daniel Tosh, Frank Zappa, Joe Rogan, Michael “Killer Mike” Render, Nick Foles, Omar Little, Punky Brewster, Stephen Miller, Zach Ertz
STATE REP., 188th DISTRICT (Most: James R. Roebuck with 25)
Gritty 3
Kanye 3
With one vote: Elon Musk, Harambe, Hillary, Jim Lahey, Ron Swanson, Taylor Swift, Tucker Carlson, Yoda
STATE REP., 190th DISTRICT (Most: Roni Green with 8)
With one vote: Joel Embiid, Kanye, Mumia, Tony Stark
STATE REP., 191st DISTRICT (Most: Amen Brown with 5)
With one vote: Bol Bol, Malcolm X
STATE REP., 192nd DISTRICT (Most: D’Angelo Virgo with 6)
Kanye 3
With one vote: Gritty, Otto Von Bismarck
STATE REP., 194th DISTRICT (Most: Blank with 4)
With one vote: Bam Margera, Ferris Bueller
STATE REP., 196th DISTRICT (Most: Gritty with 4)
Kanye 3
With one vote: Borat, Christian Pulisic, Claude Giroux, Elmo, Frodo Baggins, Karl Marx, Keith Richards, Kim Jong Un, Meek Mill, Milton Street, Mumia
STATE REP., 197th DISTRICT (Most: Frederick Ramirez with 3)
Kanye 2
With one vote: Gritty
STATE REP., 198th DISTRICT (Most: Bernard Williams with 6)
Kanye 2
With one vote: Fat Albert, Gritty, Jimmy Buffet
Franco Faggi- Fiorino
STATE REP., 200th DISTRICT (Most: Latryse McDowell with 5)
Kanye 3
With one vote: Franco Faggi, Gritty, Meek Mill
STATE REP., 201st DISTRICT (Most: Blank with 20)
With one vote: Cloud Strife, Jesus Christ, Kanye, Patti Labelle
STATE REP., 202nd DISTRICT (Most: Aaron Bashir with 10)
Nick Foles 2
With one vote: Bruce Wayne, Dan Bongino, Hillary, Kanye
STATE REP., 203rd DISTRICT
(Most: Jared Solomon and Jason Dawkins with 4)
With one vote: Obama, Jesus, Milton Street, Tom Hanks