A new twist in the mayoral race?

The front-page story in the Inquirer today is the news that Sam Katz, who ran against John Street four years ago in the general election, has changed his registration to independent, apparently to keep open the possibility of entering the race again this fall, depending on who wins the Democratic nomination. More precisely:

[Katz's 2003 campaign chair, Carl] Singley sized it up this way: "It probably represents the notion that if Tom [Knox] is the [Democratic] nominee, that Sam is in position to tap into the disenchantment of the voters of the other four candidates."

More analysis of the logistics of this move and how it could play out relative to the major parties, etc., here. There's still a lot that could happen in the Democratic field, what with new TV ads taking aim at Knox, many voters undecided, and the major publicity pushes of each candidate still to come. But having the shadow of Katz waiting in the wings will add an unexpected layer of pressure and uncertainty to the next three weeks . . .