CHICOPEE – Delmarina López has officially announced her run for Chicopee Ward 3 City Councilor. The position is currently held by Lucjan Galecki, who has faced controversy in his position over the past year. Galecki announced in a recent Facebook post that he would not be seeking re-election.

López, 25, is a graduate of the Chicopee Public School system. She received her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bay Path University and a Juris Doctor from Western New England University School of Law.

She focused heavily on legal studies and public interest during her time in school. She has a passion for social justice work and women's rights issues. She is a native of Puerto Rico and currently works as the lead counsel on Habeas Corpus cases at a Connecticut law firm.

Running for this position is something López said she has been training for her whole life. She said she comes from a family that values public service and she has dedicated many years to helping the Chicopee community and beyond.

Now that she has graduated, she is ready to jump back into being a community leader.

“Right now, I’m looking forward to diving right back into that. For the past couple of years I have had to focus more on school, but that is why I chose to run now. I’m done with school and I am able to give it my 100 percent and represent the residents the way they deserve to be represented and give it my all,” said López.

One of the main reasons Galecki said he won’t be seeking re-election is because of his busy work schedule.

“I recognize that Lucjan said that the main reason why he wasn’t running was because he didn’t have the time for it. Well, I do, and I’m ready to get to work,” said López.

López said that she has her own concerns and goals when it comes to her legislative priorities, but that she wants to hear more input from residents before she voices them.

“I live here and I have my own legislative concerns and priorities, but I can’t build a platform of my own legislative priorities without having input from the residents. This isn’t about me, this race isn’t about me, it’s about the ward as a whole. I might believe one thing, but if a majority of the residents believe another, then I have to represent what they believe,” she said.

Some topics she hopes to take action on, if elected, are the new bike path, internet and crossfiber issues within Ward 3 and receiving input on what the ward will look like with the Chicopee 2040 Plan.

“I know that there is a lot that people are concerned about, but I want to hear more from them before I develop what my main concerns are because I don’t have main concerns if I’m not at all looking to hear from the residents about what theirs are,” she said. “I feel that residents want someone who will advocate for them respectively.”

López said residents can reach out to her directly through her social media platforms, over the phone, through email or even with a knock on her door.

“I also live here. They can come knock on my door. I’m always willing to speak with folks and talk about what their concerns are. That’s the role of a city councilor. It’s to be open, to hear from your residents and to advocate for them. I’m the right candidate for that,” she said.

López recognized the importance of electing women to the Chicopee City Council. The council is currently composed of all men.

“I mean, we have women in the city, do we not? Women make up about half of the population, yet so often we find that women are not sitting at the table where the decisions are being made. It’s important to have a woman’s perspective as well as just diversity in general. Women should be everywhere where men are also,” said López. “I think that the council as it stands, all white men, is not at all representative of the makeup of the city and we need people at the table that other people in the city can look at and say ‘I see myself in that person.’”

López said she has no reaction to Galecki not seeking re-election, but that she recognizes his controversial comments over the past year and knows the city deserves better.

“If he feels like he should not run again then that’s for him to decide,” she said. “I think that the residents deserve a councilor that will think before they speak and that will reflect the values of all residents. I understand that you can’t make everyone happy, but you also have to be graceful and choose your words wisely when you’re representing more than just yourself. I think that I am the right candidate because I will make sure that I am thinking about what I’m saying and I am reflecting the ward in everything I do because I’m representing the ward.”

Looking ahead, López is excited to connect with residents and continue to help Chicopee grow.

“Being someone that grew up here and went to the school system here, I was able to really gauge the pulse of the community. The community here is diverse, it’s vibrant, there’s a lot of new things happening across the city and my favorite thing is watching it grow and watching the community strengthen,” she said.

Those interested in learning more about López and staying up to date on her campaign are encouraged to visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/electdelmarinalopez.