Jim Kenney's term doesn't end until 2023, but the race to replace him is already heating up.
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Now former councilmembers Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Derek Green stepped down in accordance with the city's home rule charter, requiring anyone in elected office to resign before they can be eligible for another elected post.
"I believe, given my experience and where the city is right now, the city needs a mayor who has lived the obstacles that Philadelphians are currently living so that we really do come out of this pandemic in a more equitable recovery," Quiñones-Sánchez said.
"What I hear from citizens is concern and they are looking for hope. So, I believe they should expect more and deserve better from our city," Green told Action News.
There have now been three members of City Council who have resigned recently.
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Allan Domb tendered his resignation about three weeks ago. But while Quiñones-Sánchez and Green have already made clear their plan to run for mayor. Domb has yet to make any such announcement.
The next mayor of Philadelphia will take over a city with no shortage of problems, including an alarming rise in violence over the past several years.
Several more council members are expected to resign over the coming days for a chance to lead the city.
Council President Darrell L. Clarke has to decide when or if to hold a special election to fill those seats. As of Tuesday night, no such decision has been made.