Councilman Duncan Harrison Launches Campaign for Mayor of Trenton

TRENTON, NJ—On Saturday, February 17, Duncan Harrison launched his campaign for Mayor of Trenton. Harrison focused on his vision for the city’s future, calling on his supporters to join him in creating a new Trenton renaissance that will bring safer streets, better schools, and good paying jobs to the city.

A life-long resident of Trenton and the current Councilman-at-Large, Harrison told his supporters, “I am running for Mayor because it is time for a new Trenton revolution…A revolution that will take place in our homes, in our families, and in conversations with our neighbors. That will take place on our streets, in our parks, and at our schools. A Trenton revolution that will bring a bright new future to our city, because it will start and it will thrive in each and every one of us.”

Harrison’s words were met with applause, cheers, and shouts of support from the diverse crowd of Trentonians who had come together for the event. From young families to leaders in government and business, the room was crowded with people of all ages, from all of Trenton’s neighborhoods, who had come together to support Harrison’s bid for Mayor.

The speakers who introduced Harrison reflected the crowd’s diversity. In addition to Harrison’s father, Duncan Harrison, Sr. and Harrison’s wife, Antoinette Harrison; Reverend John Taylor, pastor of Friendship Baptist Church; Darlene McKnight, a long-time teacher at Gregory School; Kyle Ledford, the Senior Owner of Ledford Funeral Home; and Marino Passo, a businessman and leader in Trenton’s Hispanic community, shared their reasons for supporting Harrison.

These speakers focused on Harrison’s depth of experience and life-long commitment to Trenton. A native Trentonian, Harrison received his Bachelor of Arts in sociology with a focus on criminal justice from Delaware State University in May 2007. He went on to receive his Master’s in Public Administration from Bernard M. Baruch College, City University of New York as a National Urban Fellow. He serves Trenton today as Associate Executive Director of UIH Family Partners, a nationally-recognized pioneer in the field of fatherhood programs and as Trenton’s youngest-ever Councilman-at-Large.

Harrison also emphasized the importance of his experience on Council. Since becoming the youngest person ever elected to Trenton’s City Council, Harrison has improved safety by working with PSE&G to make streetlights brighter and installing cameras in downtown Trenton. He also obtained 150 new trash cans to reduce litter on Trenton’s streets.

As a member of the budget committee, Harrison made tough decisions about where to invest Trenton’s resources to have the biggest impact. Going into budget decisions, Duncan made a commitment to get Trenton’s spending under control without sacrificing services. Duncan kept this goal at the forefront of budget discussions, and his leadership transformed Trenton’s finances and turned the city’s long-running deficit into a surplus.

Harrison made it clear that he will use his experience to lead Trenton into a new future where the city is no longer burdened by transitional aid. “We will no longer go to the State House, hat in hand, to beg for crumbs,” Harrison said to enthusiastic applause, “We know best what services should be provided for our families and where and when to build. I will make sure the State understands this, and I will make sure we get the freedom—and the funding—we deserve.”

Harrison concluded his announcement with a focus on families and the Trenton community. He told the crowd, “I decided to run for Mayor because our city is at a turning point. We need a leader who can see beyond our challenges to the bright future we will build together because, at the end of the day, this election is about our families… Our families need our Trenton renaissance to succeed…And our Trenton renaissance needs our families.

“Our revolution, our renaissance will happen in our homes, around our dinner tables, and on our porches. It will happen in our hearts first, and then it will spread to our families, our blocks, and our neighborhoods… We are not waiting for anyone else to save us.  We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”