Candidate questionnaire: Chris Rabb

The final week of the primary election season is upon us. In Philadelphia's 3rd congressional district, Democrats are vying for the chance to succeed Dwight Evans and represent a deep-blue seat in Congress.  

City & State shared questionnaires with each of the leading candidates to get a final in-depth look at the players in the PA-3 Democratic primary and where they stand on specific issues, from housing to healthcare and more. 

Next up in the series: Chris Rabb, who’s sought to be a progressive voice in the Philadelphia delegation throughout his tenure in Harrisburg and this primary campaign. 

City & State previously published questionnaire responses from both Ala Stanford and Sharif Street. 

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Here’s what Rabb had to say about: 

Housing policy

Philadelphia's working families need much more affordable housing – and they’re not alone. Nationwide, about 3 in 4 households eligible for rental assistance don’t receive it due to chronic underfunding. 

In Congress, I would co-sponsor The Place to Prosper Act, which would invest funds in Philly to streamline permitting; fast-track the construction of affordable housing; and ban landlords from rejecting rental applications based on applicants’ source of income. 

Additionally, I would push for a full repeal of the Faircloth Amendment so Philly can expand our public housing options. I would also push for a revamped, fully funded national Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and permanent funding for the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund. 

Too many homes built with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit are bought by private equity and predatory developers – that’s generational wealth we must protect.

Displacement is a major problem, and I would tackle it with a federal bill modeled on Philadelphia City Councilmember Nicolas O’Rourke’s Safe Healthy Homes Act, which was recently passed by the City Council. It will fund an anti-displacement payment for tenants forced to move because of a negligent property owner or landlord. 

In Philly, this program is backed by $800 million in bonds and aims to create and preserve 30,000 housing units. But we shouldn’t stop there. In Congress, I would push for even more funding for programs like this because we can’t place the burden solely on city budgets.

Healthcare policy

Healthcare is one of the biggest costs Philadelphia families face right now.

With Medicaid rollbacks after COVID, Black people were twice as likely as white people to lose coverage. In 2023, almost 30% of Black people relied on Medicaid – that’s over 13 million who count on Medicaid as a vital lifeline.

In Congress, I would immediately push to reverse President Trump’s cuts to Medicaid and restore this funding so that the millions affected can regain health coverage. But we need real change to transform the corporate healthcare system.

Medicare For All is the only way we can achieve universal healthcare and, once and for all, ensure every working family in our communities has the healthcare they need. All of our families deserve access to high-quality, affordable healthcare, and it only happens with bold, transformative change. 

That’s why I support universal healthcare to eliminate rising, needless healthcare costs and decouple health coverage from employment. In the meantime, I’ll also fight to expand access to public healthcare, cap or eliminate prescription drug prices, regulate insurance companies, and stop employers from slashing benefits to boost corporate profits.

Public transit funding

In Philadelphia, investing in SEPTA is essential to strengthening economic mobility for working families all across the city. In Congress, I would push to permanently fund and expand programs like Zero Fare, which has provided free SEPTA passes to about 25,000 people living in poverty.

As a fellow Working Families Party candidate, I am proud of the work that Councilmember O’Rourke has been leading at City Hall and want to do all I can in Congress to strengthen support for initiatives like this. 

In Congress, I would also advocate for funding to ensure the Philadelphia Transit Access Fund has the resources it needs to provide free or reduced-fare transit passes for households with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.

About a year ago, participants in the Zero Fare program had already taken about 6.6 million trips on SEPTA. And in the last quarter of 2024, this averaged 100,000 trips per week. We know programs like this work; we just need to fund them. In Congress, I would stand together with our city’s leaders to do all I can to strengthen and support the essential investments in SEPTA and public transit.

Campaign donors and corporate interests

As a state lawmaker in Harrisburg for nearly 10 years, I am proud to have never taken a dime of corporate PAC money. I don’t answer to the ultra-wealthy or political insiders. I only answer to the people of Philadelphia whom I represent. 

In this race for Congress in PA-03, some of my opponents have given themselves personal loans and have gotten millions in support from billionaire-backed super PACs. 

Our campaign is people-powered. I’m proud that we have seven times more small-dollar donors than my opponents combined and nearly five times more Philadelphia donors than my opponents. Getting money out of politics and empowering grassroots candidates is the only way we can break the grip of the ultra-wealthy and insiders on our government.

Philadelphia voters can trust that I will always be unbought and unbossed because I have a proven track record of always putting the people first and that’s exactly what I will do in Congress.

Meeting the needs of a diverse district

As a state lawmaker representing House District 200, I know firsthand the importance of being a voice for everyone I represent, regardless of age, gender, race, or income level.

In Congress, I will fight for an agenda that strengthens all of Philadelphia, including the many diverse neighborhoods of the district.

My priorities in Congress are to take immediate action to tackle the affordability crisis, tax the rich to ensure they are paying their fair share, and fighting the fascism of the Trump administration that is hurting Philadelphia and so many other cities across the country. With this bold progressive agenda, we can make the strong investments in Philadelphia we need to support our most vulnerable communities and ensure we are building an economy where all of our families can thrive.

Bringing personal experience to Washington

In Congress today, there’s a big difference between a public servant and a politician. A politician only cares about winning their next election and holding onto power. And they will do whatever it takes and accept corporate and corrupt money if it helps them keep their job.

As a state lawmaker here in Pennsylvania, I have always sought to be a true public servant, someone who never forgets the people who put their trust in me to be their voice in the halls of power and fight for their families.

As a public servant, I have never taken corporate PAC money or been beholden to the Democratic establishment because the only people I serve are my constituents. Understanding and living the difference between being a public servant and just another politician is the biggest takeaway from my time in Harrisburg and I will bring those same values to Congress as a voice for Philadelphia working families next year.

Combatting D.C. power dynamics

President Trump and his administration have been left unchecked for far too long. It is high time that Democrats in Congress step up to do more to combat this corrupt regime. In Congress, I would actually fight back against Trump and Republicans, not just write sternly worded letters.

Every day, we are seeing Trump’s policies collapse democracy. Our institutions are being undermined, our freedom of speech is under attack, and our very ability to count our votes is questioned. Trump’s deadly ICE crackdown is separating families and targeting innocent people in the name of citizenship. This is an attack on our core democratic values. 

In Congress, I would fight back against Trump’s illegal and dangerous policies by pushing to immediately abolish ICE and dismantle immigrant concentration camps. I would stand up to publicly fund elections and fix rigged election maps, while also strengthening voting rights, and impeaching and removing President Trump from office. No matter who controls Congress, these are the policies I would fight for. If Republicans block legislative efforts, I would join with progressive Democrats to take our message directly to voters on the streets and build a groundswell of public demands that Trump and his Republican friends in Washington could not ignore.

Popular protest is the successful strategy that beat back the deadly ICE crackdown in Minnesota this year and this can be the means of change for much more.

If Democrats take control of Congress

We need immediate and full accountability of the Trump administration and the corrupt Republicans who have aided and abetted him in pushing the wave of dangerous policies hurting working families across the country.

In Congress, I would join with my fellow Democrats to launch immediate investigations and hearings so that all who are responsible for the illegal and destructive policies of this White House are held to account.

Concerns that rhetoric about Israel and Gaza could be perceived as antisemitic

As someone who grew up in a Black and Jewish community, I have been proud to fight side-by-side with my Jewish brothers and sisters to help combat antisemitism. We cannot tolerate hate of any kind in our communities and I will always speak out against it. 

I support Israel’s right to exist as a state conferring equal rights extended to all people within its borders because no country should have a hierarchy based on a person’s religion. Long-term peace requires addressing root causes and ensuring all Israelis and Palestinians enjoy full human rights.

Our public discourse must embrace honest and difficult conversations. We can acknowledge the genocide in Gaza while also advocating for the peaceful solutions that will support the safety of all people in the region.