David Goldsmith Jr.
empowerthefuture8.comCheyney University graduate, Realtor of 8+ years, youth mentor with the Yeadon Education Athletic Association, and ambassador for Cobbs Creek Park. Lifelong district resident. Husband and father of three. His father served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force; his mother worked 20+ years as a Philadelphia municipal employee. First run for office, challenging Sen. Williams from the left in the May 2026 Democratic primary.
Chance of winning20%
Plausible upside if Williams stumbles; Prescod's 42% in 2022 shows ceiling exists. Still a steep climb against machine + Yass-PAC infrastructure.
Background
Cheyney University graduate, Realtor of 8+ years, youth mentor with the Yeadon Education Athletic Association, and ambassador for Cobbs Creek Park. Lifelong district resident. Husband and father of three. His father served 30 years in the U.S. Air Force; his mother worked 20+ years as a Philadelphia municipal employee. First run for office, challenging Sen. Williams from the left in the May 2026 Democratic primary.
Stated positions · 5
- Housing justice — protect existing homeowners, expand pathways to homeownership
- Public education — fair funding, safe schools, vocational pathways (implicit contrast to Williams's charter advocacy)
- Public safety via opportunity — prevention and economic investment over enforcement-only
- Labor rights — pro-union, collective bargaining, living wages
- Environment and healthcare — park revitalization (Cobbs Creek), clean air/water, affordable healthcare and mental health access
Pros & cons, honest read
Reasons to support
- Authentic district roots — Cheyney grad, longtime resident; real-estate career gives practical housing-policy credibility
- Public-school-aligned positioning inherits the Prescod-2022 coalition (PFT, WFP) likely to coalesce around him as anti-Yass alternative
- Community-service track record via Yeadon EAA and Cobbs Creek — real ties, not parachute candidate
Reasons to be skeptical
- First-time candidate facing a 27-year incumbent with machine support and major PAC infrastructure — huge name-ID and fundraising gap
- Platform is high-level values rather than detailed legislative plans
- Limited public record on contested issues means voters must largely take stated values on faith
Sources
Published as research from public sources. Parley does not endorse candidates. Disclaimers & right-of-reply · Report an error