David Oh

David Oh served three terms as an At-Large member of City Council. Mr. Oh is the only Republican running for Mayor. Mr. Oh is a veteran, serving in the Army National Guard from 1989 to 1992. He is an attorney and previously served as an assistant to Philadelphia District Attorney. Mr. Oh was the first Asian American to be elected to City Council in 2012. His biggest issues include crime, supporting veterans, and education.

On Art Programs Reducing Juvenile Violence:The spirit intercedes with size too deep for words. I think the arts touch on that size. Too deep for words. People cannot only be reached through words. Sometimes it's through music or through melodies. It's through rhythms, touches their heart. I learned early in the District Attorney's office here in Philadelphia, that people are so easily broken. Something happens to them when they're young. They're so fragile and it's a lifetime of suffering and pain. After that the arts is a way to heal that to give them understanding, purpose, and to turn that pain into something productive and meaningful, to communicate who they are, and what they aspire to be. I think the arts very much is an integral part of healing people and making them home.

On Creating an Artist Bill of Rights: Yes, but I think the most important thing is you have to empower the arts community. They have to be decision makers, and they have to have real resources, dollars, real money for them to have decision-making abilities over. So a bill of rights is good if you can enforce it. But the thing people can measure is what money did we put behind it?

On Creating Partnerships: Yeah, I think one of the things is, our artists have tremendous abilities. They have tremendous skills. The issue is, when are they getting paid for it? And so in the good years are fine and the off years, we can take those skills and abilities, put it in our communities, put it in our community centers, put it in our schools and pay them for it.

On Creative and Performing Arts Being a Luxury or Essential:  When I got elected I had already run on a platform of the creative arts economy, and so I recommended to Darrell Clarke that we create a committee that dealt with global opportunities and a creative arts economy, creative innovative economy. And since then this committee has formed the Music Task Force, Film, Television Task force as well as the Fashion Task force. Art is critical. The future of our city.

On Ensuring Support Beyond Center City:  I'm committed to a 40 million dollar Year Arts Fund. The people who would be on it would be funding — that's easy to start. Start day one. Have the fun, get it working!

On Funding Equity: I think the most important thing is you take the arts leaders from the communities and you put them in the decision-making role of who's getting funded for what. Leave the artists to determine what funding is most vital, most important to the communities that they represent, and also ensure that it's non-profit as well as for-profit, because that's how people want to make a living and be the person they aspire to be.

On Influencing Positive Outcomes: There are many very unhappy people impacted by poverty and violence. Arts is a way to reach them, and to give them an opportunity to express themselves and have a fullness in their life that is missing.

On Ensuring Sustained Funding: As a Councilman, I chaired the Committee on Global Opportunities and the Creative/Innovative Economy. I  advocated for the Creative Arts Economy here in Philadelphia, in Harrisburg, nationally and overseas. I am fully  aware of its importance to our City and how much more it can grow. When the Mayor zeroed the arts budget, I  found money to restore it with unused soda tax money and emergency funds. My amendment was defeated by  a large majority of the Council. I also introduced a bill to create a Creative Arts Recovery Fund using $40 million  of federal stimulus dollars. That bill was defeated, as well. With a pre-pandemic economic impact of $3.4 billion, $920 million in household income and $157 million in local taxes, the arts and culture economy supports itself.  Unfortunately, it is grossly underfunded. As Mayor, I will correct the funding shortage and restore the Arts budget to its pre-pandemic level. In addition, I will establish a $40 million Creative Arts Recovery Fund managed by a Commission of creative economy industry leaders and an executive director. I will also have an office of nightlife to work with such things as concerts, comedy shows, fashion events and filmmaking. The Commerce Department will promote Arts and Culture events and the international arm of the Commerce Department will actively  promote Arts and Culture tourism in Philadelphia. 

On Making a Cabinet Level Post: I’ll have a deputy mayor who is highly regarded by their peers, who has experience advocating for the arts. Secondly, I’d like a director of the creative arts economy fund, an annual $40 million, $50 million fund which again funds itself. With not just a director, but a board made up of leading arts advocates. 

On Supporting 2026: First thing is we have to have a reputation for being a safe city. It has to go throughout the nation and throughout the world. So the first thing, make Philadelphia a safe place. The second thing is we have to clean up our city and in addition, deal with our public transportation system. I have in the past tried to withhold money, do SEPTA in exchange for their improvements of public transportation. And then finally we have to promote this event here, in our region, nationally and globally. 

On Parks, Rec Centers, and Libraries: Research shows that investing in neighborhoods experiencing disproportionate amounts of violence has a direct impact on gun violence reduction. My plan for investing in communities across Philadelphia includes the much-needed delivery of services and physical improvements to city facilities, particularly the 57 blocks where the majority of violent incidents occur.

My vision for creating safe havens for Philadelphians, particularly youth living in neighborhoods with high rates of violence includes the following:

Fully fund our libraries and recreation centers.
Fill all vacancies across the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Parks and Recreation Department.
Ensure that recreation centers and libraries are open on all nights and weekends, especially during the summer—no excuses.
Station clinical social workers, housing counselors, and job counselors at recreation centers in the zip codes most impacted by gun violence after hours to help youth and families with family case management, connections to therapeutic interventions, general emotional support, and access to resources.
Provide universal and ongoing training on strategies for gun violence interruption, conflict resolution, de-escalation and trauma-informed care approaches to all adults stationed in recreation centers.
Finally, as important as increased and stable funding, my administration will work with the Civil Service Board and unions to modernize our hiring process to ensure we can appropriately meet the public’s need for services.