Wanda Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wanda Williams
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Williams in 2023
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| 39th Mayor of Harrisburg | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Papenfuse |
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| Born | July 4, 1953 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jerome Williams |
| Education | Harrisburg Area Community College |
Wanda R. D. Williams (born in 1953) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Currently, she is the 39th Mayor of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She became mayor after winning the 2021 Harrisburg mayoral election in 2021. She is the second woman and second African-American person to be mayor of Harrisburg.
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Early Life and Education
Williams grew up in Harrisburg. She went to Harrisburg High School. Later, she studied at Harrisburg Area Community College.
Political Career
Starting in Public Service
Williams began her work in public service in 1998. She became a member of the Harrisburg school board. This was her first step in local politics.
Serving on the City Council
Williams joined the Harrisburg City Council in 2006. She served on the council for many years. During her last two terms, she was the council president. As president, she helped set rules for how long mayors could serve.
Running for Mayor
In March 2021, Williams decided to run for mayor of Harrisburg. She had planned to run for city council again. But she chose to aim for the top city job instead. Her main goals were to improve roads and buildings. She also wanted to make housing more affordable. And she aimed to help Harrisburg's neighborhoods grow.
Williams won the Democratic primary election for mayor in 2021. It was a very close race. She won by only 56 votes against the mayor at the time, Eric Papenfuse. This made her the main candidate for the Democratic Party. People thought she would likely win the general election. This is because the Democratic candidate had won the mayoral race in Harrisburg since 1977.
In the November general election, Williams faced a Republican candidate. The former mayor, Eric Papenfuse, also ran as a write-in candidate. Despite this, Williams won the election by a large margin. She became Harrisburg's second Black mayor and second female mayor.
In July 2022, Mayor Williams temporarily gave her powers to Police Commissioner Thomas Carter. This was for a medical procedure. Commissioner Carter served as acting mayor until August 16, 2022.
Re-election Campaign
In October 2024, Mayor Williams announced she would run for re-election. She sought to continue serving as mayor in the 2025 Harrisburg mayoral election. She won the Democratic Primary on May 20, 2025. She faced no opposition in the general election that November.
Personal Life
Wanda Williams is married to Jerome Williams.
