State Senator launches campaign for Wilmington mayor

Robert Marshall is the first candidate to officially announce plans to run for mayor of Wilmington.

State Senator Robert Marshall (D – Wilmington West) officially launched his bid to be Wilmington’s next mayor this morning along the city’s riverfront, more than two years before the 2012 election.

Marshall, who has been in the state senate since 1978, says he announced early, “because I want those candidates that are considering running for mayor and the people of the city of Wilmington to know that I’m serious, and that I plan to campagin hard.”  Marshall says, “There are many outstanding names that have been mentioned for mayor, so as my philosophy and my approach to a campaign has always been and continues to be stay on the high road and talk about the important issues that are important to people.”

As part of his plan to address the city’s crime rate, Marshall says he wants to reexamine the idea of neighborhood police stations.  “Sometimes, it takes time for an issue, and it’s time to be right.  I mean, I can name any number of issues in the state legislature, from the day that you introduce the idea and change in public policy, it could take 10 and 20 years.  So the idea of more neighborhood policing is probably right for the city.”
Marshall says he plans to spend $100,000 of his own money on the campaign, and hopes to raise an additional  $50,000 before the 2012 campaign gets underway.