Who Is Maria Quiñones Sánchez?

The four-term, former City Councilmember repped the 7th District and became the first to announce — and to suspend — her campaign for mayor

Who Is Maria Quiñones Sánchez?

The four-term, former City Councilmember repped the 7th District and became the first to announce — and to suspend — her campaign for mayor

On September 6, 2022 Maria Quiñones Sánchez became one of the first candidates to announce she is officially running to be the next Philadelphia mayor, following Jim Kenney’s eight-year tenure. On April 9, 2023, the week after the campaign finance reporting deadline, she told the Inquirer she is suspending her campaign because of the “obnoxious, obscene amount of money” flowing through other candidates.

Quiñones Sánchez represented North Philly’s 7th District on Philadelphia City Council. Had she been elected, she would have been the first woman and first person of Latino descent to hold the office in this city.

Quiñones Sánchez has represented some of the poorest neighborhoods in the city, North Philadelphia’s 7th District, since 2008, when she became the first Latina to serve as a district Councilperson. She’s a former accountant, founding member of the Pennsylvania Statewide Latino Coalition and worked as the regional director for the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration.

When she started her fourth term in 2019, Quiñones Sánchez said of the most pressing issues in the city: “I think there is a recognition by the leadership in the City of Philadelphia that incremental change has not increased the quality of life for folks in the city and poverty and equity are important.”

What we’ve learned about Maria Quiñones Sánchez

Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez smiles from behind her desk in the chamber of Philadelphia City Council
Photo courtesy Philadelphia City Council / Flickr

1. SHE’S A MAVERICK, who has won four City Council races in her district — all without the support of the city’s Democratic machine.

2. SHE WAS THE ONLY CITY COUNCILPERSON WHO SPOKE OUT after the corruption convictions of labor leader John Dougherty and her fellow Councilmember Bobby Henon.

3. SHE IS A PROGRESSIVE, WHO IS ALSO A PRAGMATIST, as evidenced by the types of policies she introduces and supports:

4. SHE IS WILLING TO BOTH PUSH BUSINESS LEADERS and work with them to make change, as evidenced by her call upon businesses to make long-term investments in Black and Brown communities and her assertion that a new approach is necessary to improve Philadelphia’s school system in the long term instead of “throwing good money after bad policy.”

5. SHE IS IN FAVOR OF COUNCILMANIC PREROGATIVE. Here’s a primer on what that means.

Our best and most recent coverage of Maria Quiñones Sánchez

Maria Quiñones Sánchez on video

More about Maria Quiñones Sánchez

Maria Quiñones-Sánchez is a candidate for mayor of Philadelphia in 2023

Visit her campaign website for more on her platform, track record and more.

Follow her on social media platforms, such as Twitter, and Instagram.

Sign up for her newsletter to keep track of speaking engagements.

Follow OUR newsletter to keep track of commentary from The Citizen.

The Philadelphia Citizen updates this profile and all our Philadelphia mayoral candidate profiles on a regular basis.

Every Voice, Every Vote is a collaborative project managed by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Lead support is provided by the William Penn Foundation with additional funding from The Lenfest Institute, the Wyncote Foundation, and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, among others. To learn more about the project and view a full list of supporters, visit www.everyvoice-everyvote.org. Editorial content is created independently of the project’s donors.

MORE MAYORAL RACE COVERAGE FROM THE CITIZEN

Header photo by Sabina Louise Pierce

The Philadelphia Citizen will only publish thoughtful, civil comments. If your post is offensive, not only will we not publish it, we'll laugh at you while hitting delete.

Be a Citizen Editor

Suggest a Story

Advertising Terms

We do not accept political ads, issue advocacy ads, ads containing expletives, ads featuring photos of children without documented right of use, ads paid for by PACs, and other content deemed to be partisan or misaligned with our mission. The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization and all affiliate content will be nonpartisan in nature. Advertisements are approved fully at The Citizen's discretion. Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility. For questions or clarification on these conditions, please contact Director of Sales & Philanthropy Kristin Long at [email protected] or call (609)-602-0145.