Skip to content
Politics
Link copied to clipboard

Openly gay Council candidate to have Democrats' support

Sherrie Cohen, daughter of the late City Councilman David Cohen, is expected to receive the support of the Democratic City Committee in her bid for an at-large council seat, committee chairman Bob Brady said Saturday.

Sherrie Cohen, daughter of the late City Councilman David Cohen, is expected to receive the support of the Democratic City Committee in her bid for an at-large council seat, committee chairman Bob Brady said Saturday.

The decision, made at a meeting Saturday afternoon, could be a significant differentiator in a crowded field to replace Councilman at-large Jim Kenney, who resigned his seat to run for mayor.

Beyond the four Democratic incumbents running for reelection, 14 other Democrats are competing for an at-large seat.

Brady said Cohen, 59, an openly gay attorney with the Tenant Union Representative Network, had a unique resumé that could bring new perspectives to council. He also praised her family's longtime support of the party, and said Cohen impressed during a previous run for council in 2011, when she finished sixth. "She checked off a lot of boxes," Brady said.

Cohen, in an interview Saturday, called the decision "a huge boost for my candidacy," noting that she could become the first openly gay representative elected in city history.

A supporter of progressive causes, much like her father, Cohen has campaigned on issues such as increasing school funding, supporting paid sick leave, and battling poverty.

She said Saturday's decision was a recommendation by a subset of the city committee, and that an official endorsement ultimately has to receive the green light by the full board at a future meeting, likely next month.

609-217-8305