After a long period of rumors and speculation, Jasi Mikae Edwards announced an official launch to her mayoral campaign on her Facebook page Saturday. The post announced what many politically involved observers in the city had long suspected would happen: the Council Vice President and At-Large Counc il Member is making a run for the executive position. “From organizing a citywide March Against Gun Violence in 2012 at the age of 24…to serving nearly a decade in federal government…to becoming your Council Vice President Councilwoman At-Large at the age of 37…every chapter of my life has prepared me for this moment,” Edwards said in the announcement. The post had been shared more than 150 times as of Sunday afternoon, and garnered hundreds of comments of support both on the post itself and posts shared in Trenton groups on Facebook. “I’m running because Trenton deserves more,” Edwards said. “We deserve safer streets. We deserve clean water and neighborhoods. We deserve stable housing, strong schools, thriving businesses, and a government that actually works for its people.” The councilwoman has had an outspoken presence on City Council, penning Guest OpEds for The Trentonian and engaging openly with residents on her own social media and in groups like Trenton Orbit, a public discourse group labeled by current Mayor Reed Gusciora as “angry aunts and uncles.” Edwards is holding an official campaign launch and press conference Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at The Lobby Club in Trenton. So far, she will be facing off against incumbent Mayor Gusciora and community activist and educator Darren Green, but many more are expected to join the fray in the coming months. Trenton’s Mayoral elections often have several candidates and require a runoff, with the exception of the last election, where Gusciora won handily in the first round of voting, garnering more than the 50% plus one vote threshold with three opponents. Gusciora has not announced a reelection bid, but is widely expected to try to retain his current job. Rumors have swirled about other jobs for the two-term mayor, but nothing has been substantiated.   ...read more read less