Delaware Gov. John Carney advances in bid to be Wilmington’s next mayor

Delaware Gov. John Carney (D) has won the Democratic nomination to become the next mayor of Wilmington, according to Decision Desk HQ.

Carney took the unusual step of seeking a lower-level office with him being unable to seek a third term as governor after serving since 2017. He defeated former state Treasurer Velda Jones-Potter to win the nomination.

Carney will seek to succeed incumbent Mayor Mike Purzycki (D), who decided against running for a third term this year. He previously served as lieutenant governor for eight years and as a U.S. House member representing Delaware’s at-large district for six years.

“I’ve learned a lot and one of the things I’ve learned is that in order for the state of Delaware to be successful, the city of Wilmington has to be successful as a cultural hub and as the business hub,” Carney told a local news outlet upon launching his campaign. “That’s just a such an important part of our state.”

No Republican is running for mayor, so Carney is virtually guaranteed to win the November general election.