Lynne Abraham, Anthony Williams poised to jump into Philly mayoral race

Rumors have swirled for months about who’s running for mayor of Philadelphia next year. This week, two long-awaited candidates are expected to jump into the race.

Democratic state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams is scheduled to make his announcement Wednesday at the Independence Visitor Center. He recently told reporters the top issues in the mayor’s race will be crime, education and the economy.

“We have to return to focusing upon removing people from poverty and getting them either into the working class, middle class or above-that class, and we have to do it intelligently,” he said. “We have to use the educational system in Philadelphia to get there.”

Former District Attorney Lynne Abraham also intends to announce her run for mayor on Wednesday at the Franklin Institute.

“I think I would win because I’m an authentic candidate, and the people are looking for a different kind of leadership, and I bring that to the table,” she said. “A wealth of experience, a tremendous amount of heart and courage, and I think I can do exactly what needs to be done to help save the city and turn it around.”

Former city solicitor Ken Trujillo and Terry Gillen, a past aide to Mayor Michael Nutter, have already kicked off their campaigns.