Jim Kenney Is Resigning From Council Thursday

Philadelphia City Councilman Jim Kenney is resigning Thursday, according to a press release just put out by his office. Sources confirm that Kenney has decided to run for mayor.

Here’s the announcement:

After twenty-three years of service to the people of Philadelphia, Councilman Jim Kenney will attend his final session of City Council on Thursday and formally submit his resignation. During his tenure in city government, Kenney championed progressive causes and stood up for working families. He fought to protect the bargaining rights of police and firefighters, passed groundbreaking legislation that guaranteed broad protections for LGBTQ citizens, advocated for Philadelphia as a top destination for new immigrants to help stop our city’s population loss, and never backed down from confronting Philadelphia’s most pressing challenges.

Under the city’s “resign-to-run rule,” Kenney must step down from his Council seat to run for mayor.

Reached over the phone, Kenney referred media questions to Lauren Hitt, who previously worked for Ken Trujillo’s mayoral campaign before he suddenly dropped out of the race earlier this month. Hitt says she is currently working for Kenney in a volunteer capacity, and that the councilman is “undergoing an expedited process” regarding his decision of whether to run for mayor.

“He will hand in his resignation Thursday, and a formal announcement one way or another will come shortly after that,” she says.