In early April 2021, the Pioneer Valley (PVG) Chapter of the Green-Rainbow Party undertook a new mission - and Dr. Gloria Caballero Roca's campaign for Mayor of Holyoke became a reality.

Chapter members Juan Sanchez, Jamie Guerin, and Elizabeth Humphrey proposed that the PVG Chapter commit to helping with Gloria's campaign - and thereupon the qualifying signature drive was begun. The doldrums of the covid pandemic were replaced with political energy and many in the chapter collected signatures. By mid-May, Gloria was officially a candidate for Major of Holyoke, endorsed by the Latin American Solidarity Coalition as well as our PVG Chapter. Juan Sanchez as Campaign Management co-chair was joined by Nat Fortune as Campaign Treasurer; and Tom Grzybowski began the work on the campaign website, to be joined shortly there by other volunteers.

Gloria Caballero Roca was born in Cuba and came to the United States in 1997, and by 2004 had earned a doctorate at the University of Massachusetts for her work in literature. After teaching for many years she earned a second doctorate from the Universities of Oviedo, Asturias, Spain, and Lodz, Poland just this May. According to Campaign Manager Sanchez, "Gloria offers an impressive portfolio of hard work and achievement along with her deep understanding of the human experience and a dedication to community involvement to lead the people of Holyoke toward a new future."

Read more about Gloria's campaign here.