There may (or may not) be an 8th (or 9th) Dem. mayoral candidate
Juan Rodriuguez launched his campaign for mayor at a Germantown Avenue establishment that may or may not be a strip club. (Rodriguez photo courtesy of The Next Mayor/Nightclub exterior via Google Maps)
Fresh off the heels of NinetyNine’s seminal “There may (or may not) be a 7th (or 8th) Dem. mayoral candidate” post, we are pleased to provide word of a potential eighth or ninth person engaged in a ballot quest.
Meet Juan Rodriguez, a North Philadelphia man who may (or may not) have launched his candidacy at a strip club near Germantown Ave. and Diamond St.
We’ll let The Next Mayor take it from here since they were on poll-watching duty and all …
“No, it’s not a strip club,” said campaign treasurer Nereida Zayas. “It’s called ‘Junior’s Night Club.’ It’s like a bar, it’s a club.”
But a Philly.com photographer couldn’t help but notice a scantily clad woman depicted on the nightclub’s sign, which advertises “Exotic Dancers.” Zayas had trouble explaining the conspicuous metal pole near Rodriguez as he was making his announcement in the North Philadelphia “nightclub.”
“There was a pole there,” said Zayas. “I’m not sure what the pole’s used for, but it’s there. But it’s not used for that. It’s not a strip club.”
She said Rodriguez chose the club in the 2100 block of Germantown Avenue because it’s within Rodriguez’s neighborhood.
Zayas described Rodriguez as a “former undercover detective” who wanted to improve the city and school district. He also ran as a write-in candidate for mayor after he lost a ballot challenge for the 7th District Council race in 2011.
Should Rodriguez end up on the ballot, he’ll be the second Latino candidate in the field, joining former judge Nelson Diaz.
With these latest developments, now seems like the perfect time to break down the field as it stands today:
Candidates who have held campaign launch events (regardless of eligibility to run): Lynne Abraham, Diaz, Rev. Keith Goodman, Jim Kenney, Doug Oliver, Rodriguez, Tony Williams
Candidates who postponed their launch event on account of weather (but have already debated other candidates): Milton Street
Candidates who announced their candidacy during a drop-in visit at the Daily News: Queena Bass
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