The empire strikes back (The Next Mayor)

Bob Brady got the first position on the mayoral ballot.

The rundown:
Bob Brady
Queena Bass
Michael Nutter
Chaka Fattah
Dwight Evans
Tom Knox
Jesus White

These positions are chosen randomly, at about 11 a.m. today -- by selecting numbered tags from a Horn and Hardart Coffee can, to be specific. Two candidates, Fattah and Knox, sent kids to draw their position (the kids didn't do that well, to be honest).

In City Council races, the big winner -- is this a theme? -- was Jim Kenney, the at-large candidate who drew first ballot position. That's a huge break in that race. That means that voters will see his name first when they go to choose for City Council, and that position, coupled with Kenney's name recognition, gives him a real edge.

Other council candidates' positions worth noting:

Ben Ramos, 5 -- while incumbent Juan Ramos is down at 20
Sharif Street, 8
Blondell Reynolds Brown, 17

And T.-for-Tough Milton Street? Waaaaay down there at 19. Sharif must be relieved.

Please feel free to make your jokes now about God owing something to the Democratic City Committee, given how random choices gave the machine extremely awesome ballot position. Personally, I am trying hard not to make "last shall be first" cracks, myself.