Latino leaders back Kenney, Diaz fires back

Former judge Nelson Diaz brought together the city's Latino leaders at a campaign kick-off event in January.

What a difference three months makes.

Many of those same leaders who then supported Diaz – who would be the city's first Latino mayor if elected – pivoted on Monday and endorsed former councilman Jim Kenney.

Diaz says it's all because he refused to support a council candidate, Manny Morales, who appeared to post racist, ultra-conservative viewpoints on Facebook.

Latinos United for Political Empowerment, a group of Philadelphia elected officials, community and ward leaders, endorsed Kenney on Monday.

The group includes state Rep. Angel Cruz and former state Representative Ralph Acosta. Today both called Kenney an ally of the Latino community who has worked for immigration issues.

Diaz said when he refused to endorse Morales – whose Facebook rants included derogatory posts about blacks and gays, the group said they'd be pulling their support.

"Last week, I was told in no uncertain terms that unless I was willing to fund and participate in a joint campaign with Manny Morales, this group would drop their endorsement of me and endorse a candidate willing to make that deal," Diaz said in a statement. "I again asked for some evidence Morales hadn't made the hateful statements attributed to him, but wasn't given that evidence, because it does not exist. My integrity is the most important asset I have, and so I said no. If supporting Manny Morales is the price of keeping this endorsement, it is not a price I am willing to pay."

"Apparently Jim Kenney is willing to make that deal. I am profoundly disappointed but not surprised. He values his own election more than his integrity, and more than basic progressive values."

Kenney's campaign said they in no way support Morales, who is running in the Seventh District against incumbent Maria Quinones Sanchez.

The party initially supported Morales but following the Facebook controversy, pulled its endorsement.

"We are absolutely not supporting Manny Morales, nor did we make any such deal with LUPE. LUPE has endorsed a number of different candidates for City Council and other municipal offices who aren't supporting Morales either," Kenney's spokesperson Lauren Hitt said. "A number of LUPE's members also revoked their support for Morales after his Facebook allegations came to light, just as Nelson Diaz did."

"The Diaz campaign is embarrassed over losing the endorsement of a Latino organization who were unimpressed with the campaign they've run and the policies they presented, and the campaign is making offensive, ridiculous accusations to try to excuse it."

Click here for Philly.com's politics page.