Berks State Home candidate and Biden marketing campaign surrogate apologizes for previous tweets

State Rep. candidate Manuel Guzman Jr.’s hopes to court docket the Latino vote could also be affected by previous misogynist and racist feedback.

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  Anthony Orozco
  
  
  Anthony Orozco is the Latino communities reporter for PA Submit. Anthony joined PA Submit in Might 2020 as a Report For America fellow. He has labored in central Pennsylvania as a journalist, poet and neighborhood organizer since graduating from the College of Cincinnati in 2012.

August 12, 2020 | 4:34 PM

A Berks County candidate for the state legislature and surrogate for Joe Biden’s presidential marketing campaign is the main target of stories reviews about years-old tweets wherein he disparaged ladies and made racist remarks.

On-line information publications Inside Sources and Delaware Valley Journal printed a narrative Tuesday about tweets posted by Manuel Guzman Jr., who was named earlier this month as Biden’s deputy coalitions director for Latino communities in Pennsylvania. In keeping with the information report, Guzman reportedly used Twitter to name ladies “bitch” and “hoes,” steered that he may hit a girl in retaliation and likewise bolstered the racist trope that Asians eat cats.

In a 2018 marketing campaign video, Manny Guzman Jr. asks for voters’ help to develop into State Consultant of Pennsylvania’s 127th District. (Guzman For The 127 Fb web page).

The feedback stand in stark distinction to the picture Guzman has tried to convey to voters as a progressive fighter for girls and minorities. It might additionally complicate Biden’s effort to interact Latino voters alongside the 222 hall.

Guzman, 32, responded to the report Wednesday with a written assertion apologizing for his previous feedback.

“These tweets don’t symbolize the values that I’ve at this time, nor do they symbolize the values that I’ll struggle for as the primary Latino from Studying to be elected to the PA Home of Representatives,” Guzman mentioned in his assertion. “The reality is, there isn’t any excuse for my phrases. I used to be younger, ignorant, immature and – like lots of younger individuals – didn’t think about the influence my phrases would have.”

In keeping with Inside Sources, the now-missing tweets from 2011 to 2013 mentioned:

• “Acquired rattling this woman in entrance of me obtained wayyyy to [sic] a lot fuckiing fragrance on. Like rattling mami, in case you gotta put that a lot shit on #stinkyvag” .
• “Ungrateful ass b*tches”
•  “The following b*tch say I appear like Drake getting slapped!”
• “These hoes the identical all they modify is their outfits” (an excerpt from a tune my rapper J. Cole.)
• “Wait so let me get this straight, so it’s okay so that you can punch me within the b*lls however it’s an enormous deal after I punch you within the leg? Ahhh ladies”.
• “@PaulKeldsen my favourite Asian. I’d like to position an order: fried cat with French fries.
• “What the hell is a ‘white Hispanic’ ? It’s both you’re Latino otherwise you not.”

Guzman’s Twitter account exhibits that he joined the platform in 2011, however his feed does exhibits no tweets posted earlier than August 2019. His account can also be at present protected, which implies his posts can solely be seen by one other person if he approves them.

Guzman didn’t deny the reporting.

“I wish to apologize to my mom, grandmother, my sister, and all the ladies who’ve supported me in my life,” Guzman mentioned in his assertion Wednesday. “I’ve devoted my life to serving my neighborhood, particularly my hometown of Studying as a result of I wished to work to create alternative for individuals who for too lengthy have been unnoticed of our politics.”

Guzman declined to remark additional on what impact the report has had by way of his work with the Biden marketing campaign. The marketing campaign didn’t acknowledge a number of requests for touch upon the report.

His opponent piles on

Guzman is vying to symbolize the 127th Home District, a seat that was held by Tom Caltagirone, a Democrat, for greater than 40 years. Early this 12 months, Caltagirone introduced he wouldn’t search reelection in 2020, an announcement made after he was accused of sexual harassment.

Guzman is working towards Vincent Gagliardo Jr., 59, of Kenhorst, a small borough neighboring Studying.

Gagliardo Wednesday mentioned he was appalled by Guzman’s feedback.

“How can somebody that even thinks of creating feedback like that even take into consideration working for public workplace, and even any sort of place within the public view?,” Gagliardo requested. “That’s simply past my comprehension.”

Gagliardo as soon as served on the Studying Metropolis Council as a Democrat however turned a Republican in 2016 to help President Donald Trump.

When requested about Trump’s continued use of racist and sexist language, Gagliardo mentioned that kind of speak is OK if made by the president.

“Donald Trump is our president, he’s a businessman, he has confirmed success,” Gagliardo mentioned. “Manny Guzman is a child that hasn’t gone anyplace and ain’t going to go anyplace.”

Gagliardo additionally identified that Guzman ran a profitable main for a seat on Studying Metropolis Council in 2017 in a district he didn’t stay in.

Manny Guzman joined fellow political candidates and organizers for Latino Victory Venture’s Latinos Con Biden Battleground Charlas Tour. (Latino Victory Fb web page).

Guzman’s eligibility was disputed after election officers mentioned Guzman was residing simply exterior of the district for which he campaigned. Guzman later dropped out of that race.

“There’s lots of issues about Manny Guzman that he doesn’t belong in workplace and, you realize, that’s simply one other one, you realize, and now that these items is developing that much more factors towards him,” Gagliardo mentioned.

Guzman, who’s from a Dominican household, has labored as a contract and technical author by commerce however politics is his ardour. He served on the Studying Faculty Board, a place he ran for alongside Eddie Moran, who was elected as the town’s first Latino mayor final 12 months.

Guzman spoke with the PA Submit final week about his place within the Biden marketing campaign and his personal marketing campaign for the state legislature.

“That is an election that’s going to outline the remainder of my life, fairly frankly,” Guzman mentioned. “The [American] beliefs that we’d wish to stay as much as are simply going to be eradicated if Donald Trump is reelected for the subsequent 4 years. And so, this election for me is larger than my race right here in Studying, within the 127th [District].”

The function isn’t a brand new one for Guzman. He labored for the Pennsylvania Democratic Get together on outreach within the 222 hall for the profitable 2018 reelection campaigns of Gov. Tom Wolf and U.S. Sen Bob Casey.

It’s but to be seen how or if the reviews about Guzman’s tweets will have an effect on his personal political fortunes and his connection to the Biden marketing campaign.

The marketing campaign for Latino votes

Final month, Guzman participated within the Latino Victory Venture’s Latinos Con Biden Battleground Charlas Tour together with different organizers and politicians, together with former Democreatic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg.

The Biden marketing campaign additionally shared its detailed Latino agenda final week, a plan that requires reasonably priced (not common) well being care, financial mobility, funding in academic alternatives, lowering incarceration charges of minorities, and an overhaul of the immigration system. On Friday, the marketing campaign is internet hosting a digital roundtable in Pennsylvania, highlighting Biden’s Latino agenda.

There are 521,000 eligible Latino voters in Pennsylvania, or 5.three p.c of all eligible voters within the state, in response to the Pew Analysis Middle. President Trump received Pennsylvania in 2016 by simply 44,000 votes, with notable assist from voters within the 222 hall. From the 2012 election to the 2016 election, Republicans gained practically 45,000 votes in Lehigh, Berks, Lancaster and York counties, in response to the Pennsylvania Division of State.

Former Vice President Joe Biden discusses points affecting Latino communities in a July 29 stay stream with Janet Murguía, president of UnidosUS, the most important Latino advocacy group within the nation.

The Trump marketing campaign has a Latinos for Trump website that highlights the problems of religion, freedom, household, the economic system and jobs. The web page provides a cursory overview of the president’s plans and accomplishments.

The president’s reelection marketing campaign didn’t reply this week to requests for touch upon the way it plans to interact Latinos throughout the commonwealth.

Guzman final week mentioned focused messaging to Latino voters might differ relying on particular teams of Latinos. When working amongst Puerto Ricans, immigration might not be as vital as it will be amongst Latinos from the Domican Republic or Mexico, he mentioned.

The left-leaning analysis heart Immigration Hub surveyed greater than 9,000 voters within the swing states of Pennsylvania, Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin and located that probably the most persuadable voters skewed suburban, white, not-college-educated, and male — an vital section of voters for Trump.

Beatriz Lopez, spokeswoman for Immigration Hub, mentioned Biden has not clearly outlined himself on the difficulty of immigration in a stark and distinct manner Trump has.

“Democrats have a possibility to outline themselves, and that features Joe Biden, however most individuals don’t know the place he stands on the difficulty,” Lopez mentioned. “There is perhaps a bit bit there, however not sufficient and this can be a clear alternative to current himself as a distinction to the president who has many unpopular stances.”

The coronavirus menace is an issue for each candidate this 12 months, because it shifts the normal in-person campaigning to digital occasions and mail-in voting. Within the current main many Latino voters in Studying mentioned they have been extra acquainted and extra snug with in-person interactions and voting.

Guzman final week mentioned the mission stays the identical: reaching Latino voters the place they’re, inspiring them to face with Democrats and getting them to vote.

“Our job is simply to tell the neighborhood that they’ve a number of choices by way of casting their ballots,” Guzman mentioned. “A very powerful factor, although, is that they forged their poll, whether or not that be by vote by mail, or whether or not that be by casting their poll within the polling place.”

Anthony Orozco is a Report for America fellow at PA Submit. Observe him on Twitter @AnthonyOrozco20.

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