Allentown Mayor Announces Run For Governor

Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski announced Sunday he will run for governor of Pennsylvania in 2014.

Pawlowski announced his candidacy on the Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC.

He said he will formally kick-off his campaign at 9:30 a.m. Monday at 7th and Hamilton Streets in Allentown, the heart of the city's revitalization efforts.

Pawlowski also is currently running for a third term as mayor. He has secured both the Democratic and Republican nomination for the November election.

"This is not a decision that was easily made, but as mayor of the third-largest city in the state and president of the Pennsylvania Municipal League, I have seen first-hand the damage that has been done to our Commonwealth over the past four years under the current Administration," Pawlowski said in a release.

"I cannot sit idly by and let our state continue to suffer," he continued. "As mayor I will continue to give my heart and soul to serve our city to the best of my ability. But the challenges facing Pennsylvania, like proper funding for education and rebuilding our infrastructure, demand an experienced leader in Harrisburg who has the proven know-how to get results."

Pawlowski touts his record as mayor in the release, saying Allentown has reversed an $8 million budget deficit, added 80 officers to its police force and reduced crime almost 30 percent. He says he has worked with local, state and federal officials across party lines in the downtown's revitalization efforts.


Pawlowski has a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning and Public Policy from the University of Illinois. He began his career as a community organizer on Chicago’s southwest side and became Executive Director of Windows of Opportunity, a non-profit subsidiary of the Chicago Housing Authority.

In 1996 he became Executive Director of Lehigh Housing Development Corporation, which under his leadership became a regional community development corporation now known as Alliance for Building Communities.
He was recruited to work for Allentown as the Director of Community and Economic Development before becoming Allentown mayor in January 2006.

Pawlowski and his wife, Lisa, a community activist and licensed social worker, live in Center City Allentown. They have two children, Mercy and Alex, who attend Allentown public schools.