Nelson Diaz jumps into Philly mayor’s race
There are now five Democrats vying to be the next mayor of Philadelphia.
Speaking at the Pennsylvania Society meeting in New York City Friday, former judge and former city solicitor (back when John Street was mayor) Nelson Diaz said he will kick off his campaign Jan. 15.
A partner in the law firm Dilworth Paxson, Diaz said fixing Philadelphia’s public schools is his biggest priority, saying people will move into the city if the schools improve.
Other than state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, Diaz said he’s the only candidate who can win African-American votes — not former District Attorney Lynn Abraham, not former city solicitor Ken Trujillo and not former Redevelopment Authority executive director Terry Gillen.
“Lynn is a great candidate, but she won’t be able to get black votes,” Diaz said. “Ken has done nothing in the black community, so he can’t get black votes. And who else is in this race? Gillen, and I don’t know what Gillen will do.”
With Diaz jumping in, there are now two Latinos, one African-American and one white among candidates in the Democratic primary May 19.
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