Pennsylvania State Representative Amen Brown has announced his candidacy for mayor of Philadelphia, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer.
On Friday, Brown told constituents gathered outside of Pennsylvania’s University Square Plaza Senior Community Center that he’s running for mayor because “he’s tired of lawlessness and inaction by lawmakers.”
“This is a very serious moment for our city, and I am not taking this situation lightly,” Brown said. “If we don’t combat the lawlessness to make our citizens safe every single day, then nothing else matters.”
“This is a special moment,” he added. “This is our city right now … All my life I’ve been serving my community.”
If elected, at 35 years old, he would be the youngest mayor ever in the history of the city. Brown also had something to say to those who are critical of his age. “I will bring innovative and fresh ideas to the table,” he exclaimed.
In November 2020, Brown was elected to serve his first term in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and re-elected in 2022 to represent the newly redistricted 10th legislative district, according to his biography on his website.
During his first term as a legislator, he served on the Appropriations, Urban Affairs and Aging and Older Adults committees.
Before launching his political career, Brown was an entrepreneur in the childcare industry as the founder and CEO of Overbrook Beacon Community Empowerment.
Brown joins eight other mayoral candidates including several former City Council members, Allan Domb, Derek Green, Helen Gym, Cherelle Parker, and Maria Quiñones Sánchez; former City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart; retired judge James DeLeon; and supermarket owner Jeff Brown.
None of the candidates will officially be on the ballot until after nomination petitions are circulated and filed, which typically happens in March.
