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With only a couple days left before the election, leaders of the Latino community endorse Quetcy Lozada for the 7th Councilmanic District race. The councilmanic district covering neighborhoods such as Hunting Park, Juniata, Feltonville, Fairhill, and Kensington, holds the city’s largest concentration of Latino residents. Lozada, a longtime community organizer and current Councilmember, faces educator Andrés Celin.
State Representative Danilo Burgos and Senator Christine Tartaglione have been vocal about their support for Lozada. Mr. Burgos, who once worked with Lozada as a staffer to former Councilmember Quinones Sanchez, said “Councilmember Lozada, or just Quetcy as all her friends and family refer to her, is truly the people’s choice for the 7th council district. Almost her entire professional career has been spent serving the residents of North Philadelphia, specifically those in the 7th.
Quetcy is 7th District born and raised and she represents the best example of homegrown leadership in our community. I’m proud to endorse Quetcy Lozada for the 7th Council District.” Ms. Tartaglione stated “Quetcy is a smart woman who knows the district. She already knows how Council works. She is companionate and has a strong work ethic. She truly cares about the community. She hit the ground running on the day she took office. It truly is great to have a partner. We really work well together. I am proud to endorse Quetcy Lozada for 7th Councilmanic District. She is the most qualified. She is a strong voice for the community”.
Jose Giral, who was recently elected to the State House of Representatives, has joined the councilwoman in opposing safe injection sites in Kensington and the containment of the opioid epidemic in this area. “The Latino community has come to a crossroads of emerging leaders who will be forced to make tough decisions that will impact the community for decades. It is important to bring the community together and change the status quo. I am endorsing Quetcy because she knows the community, has worked with the community for years, and is a lifelong resident. We share the same vision to not have safe injection sites in Kensington. I want to make sure we clean up Kensington and start putting residents there first,” Mr. Giral concluded.
Former State Representative Angel Cruz, once Lozada’s political adversary, is among those endorsing the Councilwoman. He said: “I’m with Quetcy, and as a leader of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, I am officially endorsing Quetcy. I do not know Mr. Celin personally but I know I do not share the same values. I look forward to working with Quetcy to improve our community.”
Congressman Brendan F. Boyle represents Pennsylvania’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes the 7th Councilmanic District. He also commented on the Councilwoman’s work by saying, “Since coming to Council, Quetcy has taken a neighborhood-focused approach that leverages her many years of experience in City government and community nonprofits. She’s shown a commitment to making substantial new investments into the neighborhoods she represents, and I know that she would continue this great work over the course of the next four years if re-elected.”
Former Councilmember, Angel Ortiz, said “Quetcy was born in the Barrio and has lived there all her life. Quetcy has dedicated her life to public service in the Puerto Rican and Latino communities. I believe the people should be able to recognize that and give her the confidence she deserves.”
Councilmember Lozada was first elected to the City Council in a special election last year, following the resignation of Maria Quiñones Sánchez to run for Mayor. She served as Chief of Staff to Councilmember Quiñones Sánchez and worked for the Philadelphia District Attorney as the Director of Community Engagement. Lozada has also been in various leadership positions at nonprofits in Philadelphia’s Latino community, including Concilio and Esperanza. Her opponent, Mr. Celin, is a former schoolteacher who’s worked for community nonprofits including Congreso. Celin also worked for Councilmember Helen Gym as Outreach Director.
Lozada has recently earned other endorsements, including that of the Philadelphia Inquirer. In their endorsement, The Inquirer noted “Lozada also has been more supportive of measures designed to help small businesses and commercial corridors by reforming the city’s tax code, while Celin has been endorsed by groups that are firmly opposed to these reforms.” Similar to the statements of key Latino leaders, the Inquirer’s Editorial Board “knows and understands the challenges facing her district like few others.”
Ángel Ortiz
“Quetcy nació en el Barrio y ha vivido allí toda su vida. Quetcy ha dedicado su vida al servicio público en la comunidad puertorriqueña y latina. Creo que la gente debería poder reconocer eso y darle la confianza que se merece”.
Angel Cruz
“Estoy con Quetcy, y como líder del Partido Demócrata de Filadelfia, la respaldo oficialmente. No conozco personalmente al Sr. Celin, pero sé que no comparto los mismos valores. Espero trabajar con Quetcy para mejorar nuestra comunidad”.
Christine Tartaglione
“Quetcy es una mujer inteligente que conoce el distrito. Ella ya sabe cómo funciona el consejo. Es compañera y tiene una fuerte ética de trabajo. Ella realmente se preocupa por la comunidad. Se puso en marcha el día que asumió el cargo. Realmente es grato tener una socia; trabajamos muy bien juntas. Me enorgullece respaldar a Quetcy Lozada para el 7º Distrito Concejal. Ella es la más calificada, y es una voz fuerte para la comunidad”.
José Giral
“La comunidad latina ha llegado a una encrucijada de líderes emergentes que se verán obligados a tomar decisiones difíciles que afectarán a la comunidad durante décadas. Es importante unir a la comunidad y cambiar el status quo. Respaldo a Quetcy porque conoce la comunidad, ha trabajado con la comunidad durante años y es residente de toda la vida. Compartimos la misma visión de no tener sitios de inyección seguros en Kensington. Quiero asegurarme de que limpiamos Kensington y comenzamos a poner a los residentes de allí primero”.
Representante Estatal Danilo Burgos
“La concejala Lozada o simplemente Quetcy, como todos sus amigos y familiares se refieren a ella, es verdaderamente la elección de la gente para el 7° Distrito del Concejo. Casi toda su carrera profesional la ha dedicado a servir a los residentes del norte de Filadelfia, específicamente a los del 7°, donde ella nació y creció. Quetcy representa el mejor ejemplo de liderazgo local en nuestra comunidad. Me enorgullece respaldarla para el Distrito 7°del Concejo”.
Congresista Brendan F Boyle
“Desde que llegó al Concejo, Quetcy ha adoptado un enfoque centrado en el vecindario que aprovecha sus muchos años de experiencia en el gobierno de la Ciudad y en organizaciones comunitarias sin fines de lucro. Ha demostrado su compromiso de realizar nuevas inversiones sustanciales en los vecindarios que representa, y sé que continuará con este gran trabajo en el transcurso de los próximos cuatro años si es reelegida”.
Junta Editorial del The Inquirer dio su respaldo a Quetcy Lozada, argumentando que durante años ayudó a Quiñones Sánchez contra la máquina, sirviendo como su jefa de Gabinete; y abordó las disparidades lingüísticas y las reformas comerciales. “Lozada también ha apoyado más las medidas diseñadas para ayudar a las pequeñas empresas y los corredores comerciales mediante la reforma del código fiscal de la ciudad, mientras que Celin ha sido respaldado por grupos que se oponen firmemente a estas reformas”, apuntó la Junta Editorial del Inquirer.
Junta Editorial The Philadelphia Inquirer
