Nicolas O'Rourke

Rev. Nicolas O'Rourke is running for an At-Large seat on the Philadelphia City Council.

Rev. Nicolas O’Rourke is the Pastor (Supply) of the Living Water United Church of Christ in Oxford Circle and Community Organizer for POWER. Nicolas is a strong proponent of social justice and spiritual awareness, and he works to highlight common spiritual ground for all people in an effort to contribute to the realization of “beloved community” in Philadelphia. As an organizer with POWER, environmental justice became an essential campaign focus in the scope of Nicolas’ and POWER’s work. Nicolas has worked with congregations to move towards installing solar panels for their worship facilities, worked on programs to incentivize energy efficient appliances to reduce carbon footprints, and has stood with community members to stop the construction of the SEPTA power plant. 

Nicolas believes that publicly held vacant land should be put into the Land Bank and ensure the Land Bank puts land back out for community needs. He would like to see the Land Bank used especially for gardens, green space, and low-income housing. He is also an advocate for a federal Green New Deal to advance efforts to move Philadelphia towards a democratically controlled 100 percent renewable energy system by 2030 through unionized job creation that prioritizes Philadelphia's working class and communities of color.

Nicolas will be a strong environmental justice advocate if elected, and we strongly urge you to vote for him on November 5.