PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Rebecca Rhynhart is running for mayor of Philadelphia. On Tuesday, she announced she had resigned as city controller in order to join a crowded field of Democrats campaigning for the mayor’s office
“I am Rebecca Rhynhart and I want to be your mayor,” she said with her husband and daughter at her side. Rhynhart chose Nichols Park, in West Philadelphia, for her announcement, signaling an emphasis on public safety for her campaign.
“Where we’re standing is one of the areas most impacted by the city’s gun violence,” Rhynhart said. “Within a few block radius of where we are, 15 people have been shot so far this year, eight of them killed.”
Rhynhart said that, as controller, she offered solutions in audits of city departments. Recently, she released a report calling for a complete reorganization of the Police Department. And in an investigation last year into the city's response to protests over police brutality, Rhynhart said Kenney "did not exercise the leadership that was necessary" to keep people safe.
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However, she said that as controller, she could not put her ideas into action.
“As mayor, I can make these changes happen,” she said. But she was vague on how she would tackle crime.
She endorsed Group Violence Intervention, which the city is already implementing, and called for a “course correction” on consequences.
“What that means is that we can’t go back to the old policies. At the same time, we need to fine-tune some things so there’s not the chaos on our streets that we’re sometimes seeing now.”
Rhynhart is not the first to try to make the jump from controller to mayor. At least two of her predecessors tried and failed.
Other Democrats who've announced they're running to succeed Kenney include former city councilmembers Maria Quiñones-Sánchez, Cherelle Parker, and Derek Green.
Green lost no time attempting to diminish her qualifications.
“The next mayor can’t just issue reports and pick and choose issues they want to engage in,” said Green. He said his experience as a prosecutor enables him to tackle crime.”