Philadelphia’s Democratic Party Caucus announced their candidate for the Seven District.

Manny Morales, a Puerto Rican block captain, committee person for the 62th ward and former state labor investigator announced his candidacy on Feb. 16. Of the 13 ‘'ward leaders” in the district, 12 endorsed Morales and there was one abstention.

Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez is currently serving her second term and already launched her re-election campaign on Tuesday. Her district concentrates much of the Latino community through an area that covers North Philadelphia, Hunting Park and Kensington.

The councilwoman has been pretty vocal regarding the lack of support from her own party and has described herself as "the only Democratic candidate elected that the party never supported".

Quiñones called Morales a "puppet" for State Rep. Angel Cruz, one of the “ward leaders” who endorsed Morales, Philly.com reported.

In an interview with AL DÍA, Morales first said he didn’t want to comment and then went on to make the following statement.

"I was raised by my parents to be very humble and they always told me if you have nothing good to say about some individual don’t even bother," Morales said. "If I am a 'puppet' because Cruz supports me, the question should be what was she when he supported her in 2007?"

He added that he has the support of everybody because they know his vision. "I want to unite people for the common good and the quality of life of the people in the Seventh District."
Morales said he already began his outreach for voters in the area.

"I am going to do my best to keep unity and actually serve you as a public servant must do. I heard one gentleman said ‘yeah you guys come around and that is what you say now, and then when you get elected, you forget about us,” Morales said. "I told him look this is very simple, loyalty is a two way street. When I ask you for yours, you definitely have mine."

The candidate has been a resident of Philadelphia since 2006 and currently lives in the Frankford sector. Worked for seven years as an income maintenance worker and a labor investigator. He grew up in Carolina, Puerto Rico, and graduated with a degree in criminal justice from Universidad del Este.