Derek Green drops out of Philadelphia mayor race
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Derek Green, a former Philadelphia City Council member, is dropping out of the city's mayoral race. Green said Thursday it was an honor to run for mayor of his hometown.
"I am deeply concerned, yet resolutely hopeful for the future of Philadelphia. Our city is at an inflection point, and voters will be choosing a leader who must guide us through some of our city's greatest struggles," Green said. "The challenges we face are enormous, but I believe that we, as Philadelphians, have the capacity to put aside our differences and meet these challenges head-on.
"That effort will start with a mayor who leads with empathy and with an intense resolve to never give up, no matter how difficult the path may be," Green added. "Philadelphia is the greatest city in the world. Grit is in our DNA. And while it pains me that I will not be able to serve as our 100th mayor, know that it will not deter me from working to ensure I leave it better than I found it."
Green resigned from city council last September to run for mayor. He served as an at-large councilmember from 2015 until September 2022.
With Green dropping out, the number of Democratic mayoral candidates for the May 16 primary election stands at nine.
Former city councilmember Maria Quiñones Sánchez dropped out of the race last weekend.
We have a full list of mayoral candidates and their bios on our website.