Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams to run for re-election

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams says she will run for re-election in 2025.

A lifelong resident of Harrisburg, Williams was first elected to the Harrisburg City Council in 2005 and served as City Council President . She narrowly won the 2021 primary with 28.85% over incumbent Mayor Eric Papenfuse by 46 votes. Two other candidates also received more than 20% in the Democratic primary.

Williams received nearly 65% of the vote in the 2021 general election over Republican Timothy Rowbottom, who received 6.89%. Write-in candidates received 28.16% in the election.

“It’s not an easy job but it’s a job I love,” Williams told abc27’s Alicia Richards in August . “I sat in a position as president of council and I couldn’t do much. I could only do so much. I sit here now and I can do some of the things that I want to do and I can hold people accountable.”

The 39th Mayor in Harrisburg’s history, Williams has overseen a city impacted by gun violence, chaos at city events, and the 2023 fire that destroyed the Broad Street Market’s brick building .

In August Williams said she considered bringing State Police and even the National Guard in with Harrisburg Police down 30 officers. Following a mass shooting that left two people dead and three injured in May 2024, Williams said she was “fed up” and that “every week we’re looking at a homicide.”

She’s also experienced issues with the city council, particularly over rebuilding the Broad Street Market and an emergency declaration .

“City council members do not reach out to the mayor,” Williams said. “So I don’t know what’s going on.”

In 2023 Williams declared that the city was debt-free after making an $8.3 million payment in March.

Among the issues likely prevalent in the 2025 campaign will be affordable housing in the City of Harrisburg. In May 2024 Williams and White House Senior Advisor Tom Perez visited a new affordable housing project in Harrisburg touting funding from the American Rescue Plan

“We are inching closer to our goal of making sure anyone in the city who needs an affordable place to live has the ability to rest their head easy at the end of the day,” said Williams.

This is a developing story. Stay with abc27 News as more information becomes available

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