While local Democrats have been self-absorbed with the gubernatorial primary that ended last month, some local Republicans are looking ahead to next year’s City Council races.

Specifically, Council at-large seats. Next year is the year to elect a mayor, members of City Council and row offices.

The city charter states that no more than five candidates from each party may be elected for the seven at-large seats. Since the Democrats are the majority party, they always win five seats and the Republicans gain their two seats by default.

Currently, Thacher Longstreth and Frank Rizzo Jr. hold the two GOP at-large seats. Both said they intend to seek re-election.

Rizzo, an aggressive campaigner and occasional talk-radio host, opted not to seek the GOP lieutenant gubernatorial endorsement.

The focus has turned to Longstreth and his ability to serve. Longstreth, now 82, has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and his fiancee and chief of staff Melanie Hopkins said he never feels bad, just weak sometimes. This has not affected his mind, however.

“The campaign starts around January,” said Longstreth, although there are plans to circulate earlier.

In his last elections in 1999 and 1995, Longstreth had retained political consultant Howard Cain and media consultant Elliott Curson.

Longstreth said he had not yet looked that far ahead to see whether he would do the same this time.

In 1995, Longstreth found himself with a tough opponent in the younger Rizzo, who courted a lot of Democrats.

At that time, Joan Specter, wife of U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, was the other at-large Republican. Rizzo beat Specter, and Longstreth prevailed with help from a slick media campaign created by Cain and Curson.

He didn’t have to try that hard in 1999, when he won again. Curson ran commercials with Longstreth and then-Mayor Rendell, who was also popular.

Although criticized by some of his fellow Council members for not always being available in moments of crisis, Longstreth has become somewhat of a Philadelphia icon.

Despite the perception that he has been in office since Hoover was President, he has in fact only been in his current seat since 1983.

Longstreth did, however, make the social and political scene in 1967 when he first ran for Council at-large; he resigned in 1971 when he ran unsuccessfully for mayor against Frank Rizzo Sr. After that, Longstreth went into the private sector.

Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he resurfaced to run for a GOP at-large seat again in 1983.

However, when it came time for his nominating petitions to be filed, Longstreth was out of town, on what he said was a technicality.

The late Billy Meehan, local Republican party boss, substituted Camille McColgan for Longstreth in the GOP primary after quickly securing the necessary signatures for her.

After McColgan won the primary, she resigned and the party replaced her with Longstreth. It was all part of the plan; Camille McColgan is now the chief deputy city commissioner under Republican City Commissioner Joe Duda.

Waiting in the wings to run for a Republican at-large seat is Joe McColgan, son of Camille.

McColgan, 39, a former Navy lieutenant, ran unsuccessfully against U.S. Rep. Bob Borski both in 1990 and 1996.

“I respect Thacher,” said McColgan. “If he decides to run again, I would be 75 percent sure that I would run. As of now, I am 99 percent sure.”

“There is high frustration now with the Republican Party. It needs a jump start, we need to fight the fight,” he said.

McColgan added that he would need Democrats to win and that he had been talking to some. He declined to elaborate.

James “Jamie” McDermott Jr. and former 7th District Councilman Jack Kelly want a piece of the action.

McDermott, 46, last ran in 1999 for a Council at-large seat and came in third out of five Republican candidates.

Rizzo received the most votes, followed by Longstreth. Toni Green and Jackie Osborne were the other candidates.

McDermott was then and still remains the executive director for the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.

“I will work with [state] Representative [John] Perzel on school issues,” said McDermott, who advocates school choice and charter schools. “People like options,” he said.

Kelly, who gave his age as “in his 60s,” is currently a lobbyist for City Council under the auspices of Council President Anna Verna.

He was the 7th District Councilman from 1988 until ’91. He is the 53rd Ward leader and lives in the Northeast with his wife and four children.

“I have not officially decided about running yet,” said Kelly. He would have to resign if he ran because he has a city job.

Kelly said that whether Longstreth decided to run again did not factor into his decision. “He is a good person and a friend,” said Kelly. “But that does not deter my decision.”