Ward Elections, by the Numbers

Philadelphia 2022 Democratic Primary · Committee Person Races

What does it actually take to win?

The typical division has about 385 registered Democrats. Here's how many votes it took to win in 2022 — as raw vote totals and as a share of registered Dems in each division.

Competition by Council District

Some districts are virtual electoral deserts. CD-6 had just 2 contested divisions out of 160. CD-1 was the most competitive — and still, three-quarters of its divisions were uncontested.

The "interloper" myth

There's a common complaint that challengers in committee person races are interlopers who'll just move away. We cross-checked all 2,909 certified 2022 committee people against the January 2026 voter file. The turnover rate is essentially the same regardless of whether the seat was competitive.

Everyone moves at roughly the same rate — about 8% over four years. People who won close races are slightly more stable than the average committee person.

The vacancies nobody tracks

The ward system has no public mechanism for tracking who's left. Ward leaders likely appointed replacements for many vacant seats — which means if you don't run, one person decides who serves in your neighborhood, and from there, who the ward endorses for City Council and other offices.