Rebecca Rhynhart

In 2008, Rhynhart became Philadelphia’s City Treasurer as part of Mayor Michael Nutter’s administration. She subsequently became Budget Director, playing a pivotal role in the city’s economic recovery from The Great Recession.[7][8]

Rhynhart also served as the Chief Administrative Officer in Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration.[9]

Rhynhart is the first woman ever elected to the office of controller in the city of Philadelphia.[8] She won a primary challenge by 17 percentage points against three-time democratic incumbent Alan Butkovitz in the Spring of 2017. This was considered a significant upset victory as it was an off-year election and Butkovitz was backed by the Democratic Party.[10] Rhynhart went on to defeat Republican Mike Tomlinson in the November general election of that same year where she won over 80% of the vote.[11]

On October 18, 2022, Rhynhart's office released a review of Philadelphia Police Department spending and performance. The report detailed disparities in 911 response times, crime fighting strategy, staffing issues, community relations, and data collection and usage.[12] It was widely perceived as critical of the police department.[13][14][15] One week later, on October 25, 2022, Rhynhart resigned from her position as controller to run for mayor. She told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she waited to start her campaign until after the release of the report.[3]