Thelda Williams to stay on as Phoenix mayor until November election
Jun 11, 2018, 2:02 PM | Updated: 2:09 pm
(Twitter Photo/@CityofPhoenixAZ)
(Twitter Photo/@CityofPhoenixAZ)
PHOENIX — Thelda Williams was appointed Monday by the Phoenix City Council as mayor pro tempore, a position she will hold until a permanent replacement for Greg Stanton is elected in November.
Williams, whose approval was unanimous, had been serving as interim mayor since Stanton officially resigned on May 29 to run for the U.S. Congress. Before then, she was vice mayor and a councilwoman representing District 1.
“I just want the city to move forward,” Williams said. “I want us to be as nonpartisan as possible. I want to concentrate on public safety, making sure we have paved roads and we have a safe and available water supply.”
She will serve as mayor and continue to represent her district until the Nov. 6 special election.
Councilman Jim Waring was appointed vice mayor.
Council members Daniel Valenzuela, Kate Gallego, Moses Sanchez and Nicholas Sarwark already have announced their intentions to run for mayor.
Council members who run for mayor must resign by Aug. 8.
Stanton, a Democrat, left the mayor’s office early to run for the U.S. House seat currently held by Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.
Sinema is running for Republican Jeff Flake’s U.S. Senate seat.
