Come May 19, Philadelphia may soon elect its first Latino mayor. Nelson Diaz, a former common pleas court judge, hopes to earn that title, thereby making the 67-year-old Puerto Rican the leader of the fifth largest city in the United States. Already, he has received support from prominent members of the Latino community.
“It’s important to support candidates who have committed their lives to service,” said Alejandro Garcia Padilla, the Governor of Puerto Rico, in a statement. “It’s vital that Puerto Ricans living in Philadelphia match the high voter participation rates we have here on the Island.
Mr. Diaz’s platform is predicated on a major education system overhaul, where Philadelphia Public Schools have been criticized for its inequities hinging heavily on demographics and socioeconomic discrepancies. Further, Mr. Diaz is in favor of raising the minimum wage to grow the struggling working class and promote small business. He hopes to bank on the votes from Philadelphia’s 1.55 million Latinos – a full 13 percent of the city.
“Nelson and I are both the children of migrants who were looking to build a better life for their families, and we both understand what it takes to come from very little and make it in America,” Congressman Xavier Becerra (D-CA34) offered in a statement. “Philadelphia needs a mayor with Nelson’s drive, passion, and ideas. The big challenges we’ll face in the 21st Century can only be met by leaders with bold ideas who won’t take no for an answer and won’t give up in the face of opposition.
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