Rotary Club of Wilmington hosts mayoral candidate meeting
Former City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter and Governor John Carney deliver closing arguments at the Rotary Club of Wilmington’s “Meet the Mayor” candidate forum.
The battle for Wilmington’s mayoralty has intensified after Mayor Mike Purzycki announced he will not run for a third term. The upcoming Wilmington primary is shaping up to be a contest between two prominent Delaware politicians: former City Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter and outgoing Governor John Carney.
Both candidates bring considerable political experience to the campaign. Jones-Potter, a Wilmington native and founder of a financial services company, has held office at the city and state level. Carney’s political career includes three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, two terms as lieutenant governor of Delaware and one term as the state’s treasurer.
Velda Jones-Potter Candidate for Mayor of Wilmington
Jones-Potter, who announced her candidacy in March 2023, positions herself as an advocate for neighborhood safety, education and economic justice.
As the campaign season continues, Jones-Potter is making a point of communicating a message to residents. At the Delaware Economic Development Collective’s candidate forum on August 14, she said, “My administration, my leadership as mayor will be people-centered and people-first.” She proposed a different approach to housing, offering residents the opportunity to individually revitalize vacant, blighted homes to facilitate homeownership and create intergenerational wealth.
Jones-Potter, a former executive at DuPont and MBNA, made history in 2009 as Delaware’s first African-American state treasurer.
During his tenure as Wilmington city treasurer, Jones-Potter clashed with Purzycki over his plan to help a nonprofit pay off its debts. This led to legal battles that culminated in a heated 2020 mayoral election in which Jones-Potter lost to Purzycki in the Democratic primary.
John Carney Candidate for Mayor of Wilmington
Governor John Carney, who is term-limited in his current role, announced his candidacy for mayor in April 2023. Carney, a Wilmington resident for nearly four decades, said in a statement about his candidacy that Wilmington’s success is necessary for Delaware’s prosperity. His campaign highlights his accomplishments as governor, including creating jobs, investing in education and turning a state budget deficit into a surplus.
Carney has been a strong supporter of Purzycki’s initiatives and often appeared with him at public events. Both Carney and Purzycki praise the announcement of Incyte, a leading company expanding its presence in Delaware by moving to Wilmington. The move is seen as a significant boost to the city’s economic base. Carney and the mayor also highlight the governor’s $100 million investment to replace Bancroft Middle School on Wilmington’s east side with the Maurice Pritchett Sr. Academy, the city’s first new school in 50 years.
At a recent mayoral forum, Carney stressed that development of the city’s major arteries, such as North Market Street and Maryland Avenue, must be a priority. “The real focus of the next administration has to be the commercial streets that we know throughout the city,” Carney said. He stressed the importance of involving local entrepreneurs, small businesses and minority contractors in these initiatives, calling these areas “the lifeblood of this city.”
As primary election day approaches on September 10, both Jones-Potter and Carney are expected to participate in additional candidate forums hosted by various local organizations in the city.
The Wilmington primary will also feature candidates vying for five of the eight City Council seats and four at-large seats, potentially bringing about changes in Wilmington’s political scene.
You can CContact reporter Anitra Johnson at [email protected].
