Delaware Governor John Carney files to run for Mayor of Wilmington

WILMINGTON, Del. – Delaware Governor John Carney has officially announced a run for Mayor of Wilmington.

Carney, who served as Delaware’s lone Congressman prior to being elected Governor in 2016, had been weighing a Mayoral run for Delaware’s largest city. On Monday, he made it official and filed.

“During my seven years as Governor, we’ve invested more in the City of Wilmington than any administration that came before us,” Carney said in a statement shared on his Facebook page. “Our state can be successful only if our city is successful. It’s as simple as that. We’ve driven new job creation in Wilmington, invested more than ever in affordable housing, expanded the Port of Wilmington, and built the first new public school in 50 years.”

Moving forward, if elected, Carney promised to work across the board to improve education in city schools, prioritze affordable housing, while also investing in small businesses.

“As Mayor, I would stick to those priorities and focus on the future of our city. I will work with state officials, school districts, and community leaders to improve public education in city schools,” Carney stated. “I will prioritize expanding affordable housing in Wilmington. I will invest in small and minority-owned businesses across the city. And as we’ve done at the state level, I will protect taxpayer dollars and make sure the city has a strong, sustainable financial position. I’m running for mayor because I love our city – and I believe Wilmington needs an experienced leader to move us forward.”

Carney is currently running against former Wilmington City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter. This comes after current Mayor Mike Purzycki announced that he would not seek re-election.