PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Maria Quiñones Sánchez quit Philadelphia City Council in September to run for mayor next year. Now, her husband is employed in the office that she left.
Philadelphia’s city charter requires elected officials to resign if they want to run for another elected office. Quiñones Sánchez was among five council members who resigned to run for mayor. Her former chief of staff, Quetcy Lozada, took over her seat after a special election — and Lozada chose, as her chief of staff, Sánchez’s husband.
Thomas Sánchez said he sees nothing improper about his hiring, given his experience and credentials. He was chief of staff for Councilmember Juan Ramos in 2004 but left when his wife ran for the district council seat. He worked for Temple University, returned for a short stint on council staff, then went back to Temple until joining Lozada’s staff.
He noted he took a pay cut because of his desire to work in city government, questioning how long he would be expected to postpone doing so.
Neither Lozada nor Quiñones Sánchez responded to requests for comment.
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