Anthony Williams to Run for Mayor
Philly’s mayoral ballot is starting to get crowded. We already heard on Thursday that Lynne Abraham is going to make her candidacy formal next week; late on Thursday news emerged that — as expected — State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams will throw his hat into the ring.
In an email to supporters, Williams says he wants to “fill you in on my vision to make Philadelphia a better place to live and work for everyone.” His announcement is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Liberty Ballroom of the Independence Visitors Bureau.
His father, the late State Sen. Hardy Williams, ran for mayor in 1971 against Frank L. Rizzo and was among the first generation of independent black leaders.
Rizzo’s longtime political adviser, Marty Weinberg, is helping the younger William’s run at the mayor’s seat.
In an April interview with Philly Mag about the prospect of being mayor, Williams said the economy remains the city’s biggest challenge:
There’s one basic problem: That the economy has not grown significantly enough and rapidly enough in Philadelphia. That means not just having a job, but job creation. We have a significant problem with poverty in Philadelphia, which is a drag on our economy, it’s a drag on the cost of government, and it’s a drag on us marketing Philadelphia for not just those who are staying and moving into Center City, but beyond Center City. So we have not felt the benefit, West Philadelphia has not felt the benefit of this new economy. In other sections where people are challenged economically, they haven’t felt the benefit of this economy.
Ken Trujillo and Terry Gillen have also declared their candidacies for mayor. The primary election is in May.
