Wally Zimolong

Republican candidates in Philadelphia, especially in liberal Center City, are often called sacrificial lambs, doomed to failure by a Democratic electorate that outnumbers them 6-1.

Wally Zimolong is as much a long shot as any, but he's not giving up. The Republican nominee for the 182nd Legislative District has been heavily circulating campaign literature, making the rounds on news shows, and now, he's up with his first TV ad of the election cycle.

In the ad, Zimolong, who is trying to unseat state Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia), says he's running because "Philadelphia is worth fighting for and our elected officials need to stand for something."

Zimolong says the ad (embedded below), will start airing next week on ESPN, Comcast Sportsnet, CNN and Fox News.

The candidates in Philadelphia's 182nd Legislative District are scheduled to debate Wednesday night in South Philadelphia.

State Rep. Babette Josephs (D-Philadelphia) is facing a challenge from Republican challenger Wally Zimolong. The district is overwhelmingly Democratic, leaving little hope for Zimolong's chances.

But he can take some solace in recent voter discontent over Josephs' stance on reform legislation.

The debate is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Palumbo Recreation Center at 10th and Fitzwater Streets.

After lawmakers in Harrisburg tabled a measure to reform the way legislative districts are redrawn, Republican candidates in Philadelphia are speaking out in favor of the reform and hammering Democrats for putting it off.

 
The measure was tabled by a state House committee last week and by its counterpart committee in the state Senate this week. Critics of the measure have called it flawed reform, while others have called it a necessary move to stop the process of "gerrymandering," or redrawing districts to the advantage of incumbents and majority parties. Pennsylvania is the second-most gerrymandered state in the country, according to the League of Women Voters.