#PHL2015: Councilman Jim Kenney resigning from City Council on Thursday

As was widely expected after last Friday’s non-announcement by At-Large Councilman Jim Kenney that he would consider entering the Democratic primary  for Philadelphia Mayor, Kenney’s team is officially announcing his resignation from City Council—a prerequisite to a run for Mayor, given the city’s “resign to run” law.

Kenney’s entrance into the race would be significant because several powerful labor groups and ideological progressives are still disappointedly casting about for a candidate to back, and with Ken Trujillo reportedly urging Kenney to get in the race, it’s possible the Councilman could occupy the political space Trujillo had been trying to fill.

Here’s the official press release. We’ll update this post should any other pertinent Kenney news arise.

PHILADELPHIA –  After twenty-three years of service to the people of Philadelphia, Councilman Jim Kenney will attend his final session of City Council on Thursday and formally submit his resignation. During his tenure in city government, Kenney championed progressive causes and stood up for working families. He fought to protect the bargaining rights of police and firefighters, passed groundbreaking legislation that guaranteed broad protections for LGBTQ citizens, advocated for Philadelphia as a top destination for new immigrants to help stop our city’s population loss, and never backed down from confronting Philadelphia’s most pressing challenges.

Kenney will hold a media availability at 2:00 PM in his office at City Hall. All media must RSVP in order to attend. RSVP tojames.engler@phila.gov.