Helen Gym

Helen Gym is a Democrat and former schoolteacher and reporter. She has a grassroots organizing background and is focused on poverty and quality education accessibility. She also cares about women’s rights and racial rights, mostly Asian-American. Gym was voted into office on promises to offer Philadelphia’s communities an equal voice to lobbyists. Her big issue is improving schools -- so much so that she is sometimes viewed as a one-issue candidate. She is in the pockets of developers, but one of the most likely (besides Blackwell maybe) to be divisive and assertive -- she has called out a racist food truck, participated in direct actions against the repeal of Obamacare, and was extremely outspoken against Philadelphia’s support of Betsy DeVos.