A power struggle in the Latino strongholds of North Philly
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
An independent slate aims to oust the political establishment.
Inside the defunct New Palladium nightclub, on Allegheny Avenue in Kensington, a political insurgency is brewing. A set of card tables on the old dance floor is the unlikely war room for the upstart Latino Empowerment Alliance of Delaware Valley (LEAD), an independent slate of Democratic candidates aiming to upset the political establishment that controls some of the city’s poorest wards.
“The party has decided to support people that don’t have the best interests of the Latino community,” said Tomas Sánchez, the founder of the Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, who is challenging incumbent Christine Tartaglione for the 2nd State Senate seat. “We’re supporting a team of candidates who are going to empower our constituency.”
The LEAD slate has been heavily backed by Tomas’ wife, Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez, and is inspired, in part, by her own political career. She won her council seat by defeating Democratic City Committee (DCC) favorite Danny Savage after the previous machine candidate, Rick Mariano, was convicted of bribery.
Unfortunately, the political machine often proves resilient: Tartaglione is a member of a powerful political family and Savage is now also a contender in the 2nd District race. But it’s also not hard to find more recent examples of machine politicians’ failings in Philadelphia’s former industrial heartland, now home to a booming immigrant community.
Until recently, the bigwigs at the DCC endorsed J.P. Miranda, the incumbent state representative of the 197th District, who is now facing charges of criminal conspiracy for allegedly running a ghost-employee scam that involved his sister. The heat surrounding that case prompted neighboring 180th District Rep. Angel Cruz, also backed by the DCC, to fire his own sister, whom he had employed as a legislative assistant in his office since 2004, according to Daily News reports.
LEAD candidates Danilo Burgos, founder of the Dominican Grocers Association, and Quetcy Lozada, former chief of staff for Councilwoman Sánchez, are now vying for both of those districts. A fourth LEAD-endorsed candidate, community organizer and former Sánchez aide Jason Dawkins, is seeking a house seat in the 179th District.
The LEAD candidates’ core issues aren’t particularly surprising — each emphasized fighting for more state education funding, tackling corruption and removing obstacles for small businesses. But in Philadelphia, and Kensington in particular, running without the support of the DCC’s network of ward leaders and committeepeople is certainly unorthodox.
However, Tomas Sánchez says that party power is exaggerated and characterized its leadership as apathetic.
“It doesn’t concern us that we don’t have their support because they don’t do that much,” he said, of LEAD’s scarce backing by ward leaders.
But party support does have its perks — Tartaglione easily out-fundraised Tomas Sánchez, including $20,578 from the state Democratic Party and a $5,000 personal donation from DCC political boss and Congressman Bob Brady. And DCC-provided lawyers tied up Dawkins, Lozada and Burgos with residency challenges that were ultimately dropped.
Tartaglione said she was running on a record of over 20 years of public service and that she has brought “over $40 million” in economic development funds to her district. She declined to comment on her political opponents, saying she was busy running the 2nd District.
Meanwhile, the LEAD candidates also accused their opponents of campaign of misinformation and voter intimidation — something each claimed was commonplace in Kensington politics.
“There are people who say, ‘I don’t want to get involved because they’re going to come after me,’” said Sánchez. “Most people don’t want any problems.”
Indeed, Rep. Cruz was investigated for trying to bribe voters in 1998 and there were separate investigations in 2003 and 2010 into allegations that Cruz’ supporters harassed voters or followed them into voting booths. No charges were ever filed.
However, Lozada, who is running against Cruz, said her supporters had received phone calls threatening to report them to Licenses & Inspections as retribution for displaying the “wrong” political signs — a threat that carries some weight in a neighborhood with lots of aging buildings.
Cruz’s campaign denied thet allegation, and said no formal complaints had been filed. A spokesperson said Lozada was “trying to get headlines” and hinted that Cruz was mulling his own legal charges for alleged misconduct by Lozada’s campaign, but did not elaborate.
Political observers say they are doubtful that the LEAD slate has raised sufficient funds to be a credible threat in all four districts, and a source said Tartaglione supporters have circulated a poll conducted by the Senate Democratic Campaign Committee (which supports Tartaglione’s re-election) showing that she will win handily.
But Sánchez says he expects an upset.
“We’ve won elections in the past. My wife and other candidates have won elections in the past without the party structure,” said Sánchez. “That’s why we need to win, to give people more courage.”
