The primary campaign for West Philly’s 188th House District between incumbent James Roebuck and newcomer Fatimah Muhammad has drawn attention around the city and even the state because of the influence of school voucher proponents – and their money – into the race.

West Philly residents will have a chance to hear the candidates tonight at the Kingsessing Rec Center (5100 Chester Ave. Enter on 50th Street) from 6-9 p.m. Roebuck and Muhammad have confirmed their attendance at tonight’s event.

Muhammad’s campaign has made a visible impact in West Philly, with signs and billboards featuring her portrait in a Photoshopped style that closely resembles posters featuring President Barack Obama during the 2008 campaign. Her campaign has also been linked to a series of postcards mailed to many West Philly residents that blame Roebuck, the ranking Democrat on the House Education Committee, for limiting school choice for students. One postcard even blames him for the cap at Penn Alexander School.

Many residents have spoken out against the postcards on several neighborhood listservs and message boards.One person even vowed to make a contribution to the Roebuck campaign for each postcard she received.

Roebuck is opposed to vouchers, which would provide tax dollars for students to attend private and parochial schools. The opponents of vouchers argue that they would undermine the funding and enrollment at public schools, while proponents, including Gov. Tom Corbett, say they would provide students with a better choice of schools.

Muhammad, a Penn alum who has been the associate director of Penn’s Greenfield Intercultural Center, will undoubtedly face questions this evening about her position on vouchers.

A handful of candidates for state offices will be in West Philly tonight to talk about statewide issues, including school vouchers and the voter ID law.

Candidates scheduled to be on hand at the forum, which begins at 7:30 p.m. at  USP’s Rosenberger Hall (600 S. 43rd St.), include 188th District State Rep. Jim Roebuck, Attorney General candidate Kathleen Kane and a representative of Patrick Murphy, who is also running for Attorney General.

Roebuck’s opponent in the April 24th primary, Fatimah Loren Muhammad, pulled out of the forum at the last minute, according to 27th Ward Leader Carol Jenkins. Muhammad, whose Obamaesque campaign posters have popped up all over West Philly,  is a proponent of school vouchers, which Roebuck opposed as the Democratic chair of the Education Committee.

The forum will include a brief address by each candidate and a Q and A session.

Primary elections are tomorrow and if you find yourself without a playbook or you just want to remind yourself what’s at stake in 15 minutes or less, we suggest two sources.

First, West Philly writer and journalist Patrick Kerkstra speculates on questions surrounding the primary in The Philly Post, a Philadelphia Magazine blog.

Up for grabs is each party’s nod for mayor, all 17 City Council ballot spots and the party favorites for the controversial sheriff’s post. For a complete rundown, we suggest you consult the City Paper’s informative and entertaining election primer.

Lastly, Committee of 70 has a nifty little thing to help you find your polling place.

Primary elections are set for May 17 and this time around the City Council races overshadow the Mayor’s race in terms of interest. Although Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell is running unopposed in the Democratic primary for West Philadelphia’s 3rd District, the At-large ballot and the Sheriff’s race gives voters in West Philadelphia something to chew on.

Fourteen candidates are vying for five places on the November 8 general election ballot. Nine candidates will appear on the Republican primary ballot.

The Committee of 70 has a rundown of all of the candidates in the city primaries here. Most of the profiles include pretty lengthy Q & As with the candidates. You can find your polling station here.

A slew of local political candidates will be in West Philly tomorrow evening beginning at 7:30 p.m. The meet and greet will take place at the University of the Sciences’ Rosenberger Hall (600 S. 43rd St.). The 27th Democratic Ward is sponsoring the event.

Candidates scheduled to be on hand include:

City Council – At-Large

Sherrie Cohen
Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown
Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr.
Councilman Bill Green
Councilman William Greenlee
Councilman Jim Kenney
Isaiah Thomas

City commissioner

City Commissioner Anthony Clark

Sheriff

John Kromer
State Rep. Jewell Williams