Paul Ratha Yem, who has represented District 7 (the Acre) since Lowell’s switch to a hybrid district representation system, has a declared challenger again in 2025.
Jose Cervantes, a 2003 Greater Lowell Technical High School Graduate and 30-year Mill City resident, filed paperwork with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance to officially launch his candidacy this morning. Cervantes had reached out to InsideLowell early this year to notify us of his intention to run and has been very active on social media about political issues in the city since then.
The Dublin Street resident was born in Mexico and moved to the United States when he was two years old. He’s been employed as a residential Mason for over twenty years.
Another rumored candidate in the District 7 race is Sidney Liang, a Board member with the Coalition for a Better Acre. Liang recently posted on social media about empowering the Cambodian and minority communities of Lowell in the weeks and months ahead, though the post did not specifically mention the election or a campaign.
When contacted Monday afternoon, Liang told InsideLowell he is thinking about running and gathering more information. He expects to make a decision over the coming months.
4 responses to “Election Heats Up in the Acre”
Sad when you run for a District you should be thinking about the community not a specific culture. So Liang is just focusing in the Asian community when District 7 has Hispanic and other culture. SMH.
Noting the extraordinary high number of cultures represented in the Lowell public school system alone, anyone running for any public office within Lowell City limits is best advised to avoid being overly associated with any one cultural group. Please: work for all the people. We all are Americans!
Amen to that. I am about what’s best for the residents of Lowell, and that included all colors, shapes, sizes. Identity politics cause division and I want to unity. Hopefully it starts in November, I want record voter turn out throughout the city.
The higher the horse, the lower the awareness, I guess. The “All Lives Matter” crowd and the guy from Facebook that actually seems to be wearing the hat on purpose have gone all “what if there was a Miss White America, huh?” on candidates focused on being a voice and an advocate for their particular ethnic group in the district.