Williams will decide by February on run for mayor

State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams is being talked about as the only serious potential Democratic challenger to Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter’s re-election bid.

“By the end of the month I will probably have declared definitively my intentions,” said Williams.

It took a bit of prodding for Williams to commit that much about whether or not he’s running in the May mayoral primary. The senator says he wants to air issues that trouble the city and running for mayor might be the way to make that happen.

“The issues that I’m concerned about for the city increase, that is issues related to education, issues about Philadelphia becoming business friendly, issues relating to crime, those issues continue come to me by different parts of Philadelphia everyday,” said Williams.

Williams says his failed run for governor gave his agenda a statewide airing.

“I’m grateful that I did that because now the first bill coming out of the Senate will be about education reform and my intention is to drive this agenda in such a way that issues of concern are paramount,” he said.

Williams wants to do the same with this campaign, or non-campaign.