Jim Walsh

@jimwalsh_cp

CAMDEN - Declaring it was "time for me to begin a new journey," Mayor Dana Redd said Wednesday she will not seek a third term in office.

Redd endorsed City Council President Francisco "Frank" Moran, a fellow Democrat who followed her remarks by announcing he'll seek the mayor's post in November's general election. Moran, a lifelong city resident and 20-year councilman, is Camden County's parks director.

Redd, 49, said she had delivered on a pledge to revive Camden's fortunes and now wants "to keep my new promise to my family, who have patiently put up with my long hours and my attending one function after the next."

While offering no specifics, Redd predicted her future activities "will allow me to continue to help Camden rise to even more greatness."

When asked if she'd accept an offer to run for lieutenant governor this fall, Redd said, "I'm keeping my options open."

The candidate for the state's No. 2 position is chosen by a party's gubernatorial hopeful. The Democratic front-runner in the governor's race - Phil Murphy, a former financier from Monmouth County - was endorsed Saturday by the Camden County Democratic Committee.

Candidates must file by Monday to run in the June 6 primary election. Democratic candidates typically are prohibitive favorites in Camden's general elections.

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Prior to her announcement, officials who worked closely with Redd praised her tenure.

Camden County Freeholder Director Louis Cappelli lauded her as "America's greatest mayor" and asserted Redd had led the county "through crisis and … unprecedented growth."

Phoebe Haddon, chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden, said Redd "personifies the Camden Rising movement that is surging throughout this city." Haddon also noted Redd is a Rutgers-Camden graduate.

In remarks to an enthusiastic audience outside City Hall, Redd said her administration had lifted Camden "from a city of despair to a city of promise."

The mayor began her first term in January 2010, just as the state was lifting a years-long takeover of city government.

Among other accomplishments, the mayor said she had worked with the state to improve Camden's education system through charter and Renaissance schools. She noted an influx of employers and construction projects, fueled by some $1.5 billion in state tax incentives for businesses moving to or expanding in Camden.

Among other ongoing projects, work has begun on a $1 billion plan to bring office buildings, retail space and homes to the city's Waterfront. In addition, a health sciences campus affiliated with Rutgers University-Camden and Rowan University is taking shape on a downtown block of Broadway.

Redd said her "toughest decision" came when the city's police force was replaced in May 2013 by the newly formed Camden County Police Department.

"While we have not yet claimed victory, we can see the difference," she asserted, saying residents now feel safer.

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But critics have faulted Redd's role as a member of the powerful South Jersey Democratic organization and as a steadfast ally of Republican Gov. Chris Christie. Those opponents assert residents have sometimes lacked a voice in crucial decisions affecting their lives. The success in the city of Camden still falls short of the needs of homeowners in this city," Charles T. Ashley Jr., a resident, wrote in a recent letter to the Courier-Post. "Property taxes are at an all-time high, the streets in the city are in much need of repair."



"To qualify as success in the city, it has to be everywhere (not just downtown)," wrote Ashley.

In launching his mayoral campaign, Moran, a 48-year-old resident of Cramer Hill, said he would emphasize programs to prepare city residents for the jobs now coming to Camden. He also said school facilities should stay open longer hours to provide "a safe haven" for children.

Moran's announcement also reflected his strong religious beliefs.

"We know all about the separation of church and state, and that's all good, but I have to give testimony," the candidate said.

"If we want to continue to progress, we need to kneel and pray."

He and Redd, who were swamped by well-wishers after their speeches, then posed for photographs with City Hall rising behind them.



As they walked back to the crowd, Redd remarked to her would-be successor, "Now, we've got to campaign."



Jim Walsh; (856) 486-2646; jwalsh@gannettnj.com