Wanda R. D. Williams (born 1953) is an American Democratic politician from

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

currently serving as 39th Mayor of Harrisburg. Running as a Democrat and President of the Harrisburg City Council, she won the

2021 Harrisburg mayoral election The 2021 mayoral election in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was held on November 2, 2021. Two-term incumbent mayor Eric Papenfuse, a member of the Democratic Party, ran for a third term, but lost re-nomination to City Council President Wanda Williams ...

becoming the city's second female and second African-American mayor.

Early life

Williams grew up in

Harrisburg Harrisburg is the capital city of the Pennsylvania, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the List of c ...

and attended William Penn High and Harrisburg Area Community College.

Politics

Williams started her political career in 1998 as a member of the

school board. She served on the Harrisburg City Council since 2006, with her last two terms serving as the council president. During her time in the City Council, she worked to set term limits for Harrisburg mayors. In 2016 she received criticism as she was accused of politicizing the Harrisburg Environmental Advisory Council. Although she had originally planned to run again for city council, Williams announced her candidacy for mayor of Harrisburg in March 2021, running on a platform of infrastructure improvements, affordable housing, and revitalization. She won the Democratic primary for the

in an upset with 28.95% of the vote, leading incumbent mayor

Eric Papenfuse Eric Robert Papenfuse (born September 4, 1971) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 38th Mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Papenfuse is the founder and co-owner with his wife of The Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, ...

's 27.93% by only 56 votes, to become the Democratic nominee. She was seen as the heavy favorite to win in the general election, as the winner of the Harrisburg Democratic primary has gone on to win the mayorship since 1977. She faced a single Republican candidate who is facing criminal charges of child abuse. However, on September 15, Eric Papenfuse announced that he would run a write-in campaign in the November General Election. Despite this, Williams won the general election by more than a 2–1 margin. Williams became the city's second Black and second female mayor. On July 31, 2022 Williams transferred mayoral powers to Police Commissioner Thomas Carter due to a medical procedure; Carter served as acting mayor until August 16, 2022.

Personal life

Williams lost a granddaughter to gun violence in 2013 as a bystander at a shooting.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Wanda D. 1953 births 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians Harrisburg City Council members Living people Mayors of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Democrats Women political candidates African-American people in Pennsylvania politics African-American mayors in Pennsylvania Women mayors of places in Pennsylvania Women city councillors in Pennsylvania African-American women mayors