Former Senator Jim Seveney and Local East Bay Leaders Endorse Sandra Cano for Congress
PORTSMOUTH, RI – Former State Senator Jim Seveney, Bristol Town Councilman Timothy Sweeney and Portsmouth School Committee Vice Chair Juan Carlos Payero announced today that they are supporting and endorsing Sandra Cano in the race for Congressional District One.
Of his endorsement, Former State Senator Jim Seveney said: “If there is one single underlying issue that needs to be addressed in this state and in this country – it is our education system. Sandra Cano will be a fighter for our schools, our students, and our teachers. She understands what we’re currently doing, and she knows how to fix it. I worked with her in the State Senate on these issues and I know that she is the voice we need in Congress to advocate for students and teachers across America.”
Bristol Town Councilman Timothy Sweeney added: “Sandra has worked on budgets at every level of government in Rhode Island. She worked on school budgets when she was on the school committee, she helped pass city budgets when she was on the Pawtucket City Council, and she works on the state budget as a key member of the Senate Finance Committee. She understands what goes into the budget process and also knows how critical it is that America not default on its debt. Sandra cares about the issues I care about, and that people in my community care about. I am proud to support her.”
Portsmouth School Committee Vice Chair Juan Carlos Payero said: “Sandra Cano has been at the forefront of so many major issues in our state – and the one that we connect on most is the state of our education system. We are both parents to young children and we both work hard to make our schools better every day. I have watched Sandra work on these issues and the positive impact she has made for our schools. I am confident that she will lead the way for education policy in Congress, because Sandra knows that it all starts with education.”
Sandra Cano said of these endorsements, “I am so humbled by the support of my current and former colleagues in every level of government. We are building a large coalition that is spreading across the district, and a movement to win in September and November.”
Former State Senator Jim Seveney, Bristol Town Councilman Timothy Sweeney and Portsmouth School Committee Vice Chair Juan Carlos Payero join a growing list of nearly three dozen local leaders who have endorsed Sandra Cano for Congress including:
Mayors: Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien, North Providence Mayor Charlie Lombardi, Former Cumberland Mayor Bill Murray, Former Pawtucket Mayor Robert Metivier;
Municipal Leaders: Pawtucket City Council President Terrence Mercer, Pawtucket City Council At-Large Members Michael Araujo, Roberto Moreno and Yesenia Rubio; Pawtucket City Council Members Mark Wildenhain, Neicy Coderre, and Marlena Martins Stachowiak; the entire Pawtucket School Committee (members James Chellel Jr., Chair, Kimberly Grant, Deputy Chair, Joanne Bonollo, Jennifer Carney, Gerard Charbonneau, Erin Dube, and Marsha Fernandes); as well as Central Falls Officials Robert Ferri (City Council President), Tatiana Baena (City Council At Large), and Hugo Figueroa (School Board Member and former City Councilor);
State Senators: Meghan Kallman (SD15 Pawtucket, Providence), Melissa Murray (SD24 Woonsocket, North Smithfield), Robert Britto (SD18 East Providence, Pawtucket), Mark McKenney (SD30 Warwick), Dawn Euer (SD13 Newport, Jamestown), Pamela Lauria (SD32 Barrington, East Providence, Bristol), and Alana DiMario (SD36 Narragansett, North Kingstown, New Shoreham);
State Representatives: Rebecca Kislak (HD4 East Side of Providence), Joshua Giraldo (HD56 Central Falls), and Karen Alzate (HD60 Pawtucket, Central Falls ).
Sandra Cano has been serving Rhode Islanders for over a decade. On the Pawtucket School Committee, she worked to defend the public education system that welcomed her as a teenager in this country. As a Pawtucket City Councilwoman, Sandra saw how city government directly affects residents, and she worked to shape policies that had a positive impact on their daily lives. Now in the State Senate, Sandra proudly gives voice to the diverse communities of District 8. Sandra is chair of the Senate Education Committee – the first Latina to hold the position. She serves as a member of the Senate Finance Committee and the Permanent Joint Legislative Commission on Child Care. If elected, Sandra will be the first Colombian American woman to serve in Congress.
