Lightning, it seems, can strike the same campaign twice.

Former Democratic mayoral candidate Happy Fernandez has decided to support Republican mayoral candidate Sam Katz.

That means Katz and Democratic opponent John Street have split the four candidates who ran against Street in the Democratic primary.

John F. White Jr. defected to Katz two weeks ago. The other two primary losers, Marty Weinberg and state Rep. Dwight Evans, are backing Street.

Fernandez, who took 6 percent of the vote in the May primary, has, like White, a following among middle-class, liberal and moderate Democrats whose support is considered critical to Katz's chances in November.

Fernandez, now president of Moore College of Art and Design, has sent a letter to more than 1,500 of her supporters outlining her reasons for supporting Katz.

The mailing was paid for by the Katz campaign.

"The number one issue in this crucial campaign is the leadership style that is needed to bring all Philadelphians together to work hard to continue to move our city forward," Fernandez wrote. "I am convinced that Sam Katz is our best choice for positive, forward-looking and inclusive leadership."

Unlike White, however, Fernandez will not join the GOP candidate in a news conference and will not campaign actively.

Fernandez acknowledged sending the letter. She emphasized that she was acting as a citizen, and not as president of Moore.

"Because a lot people have been asking me, I finally said I will share publicly with my supporters what I will do," she said.

Fernandez's decision is particularly striking since she worked with Street as a fellow Democrat in City Council for seven years, and since her views on education, a lifelong passion, seem closer to Street's than Katz's.

While Street has campaigned for more education funding and opposed vouchers, Katz is a voucher supporter.

Fernandez acknowledged her difference with Katz on vouchers in her letter, but noted Katz's service on the school board in the 1970s and said he "shares my dedication to securing fair funding to improve the quality of education for each of the 215,000 students in the Philadelphia public schools."

Fernandez declined to discuss Street yesterday, saying she preferred to focus on the positive reasons for supporting Katz.

Her letter listed several leadership qualities she said are essential to being an effective mayor.

"Sam Katz knows that selecting and delegating to a talented and diverse team of people to manage city departments is essential for continued reform," Fernandez wrote."

Katz worked hard for Fernandez's support, contacting her soon after the Democratic primary and meeting with her several times. While Street did reach out to Fernandez, his effort was slower and less persistent.

Ken Weinstein, a longtime Fernandez supporter who served as her chief of staff in her first Council term, said Katz's appeals mattered.

"He made himself readily available, and it's easier to support someone who does that," said Weinstein, who is also supporting Katz.

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