STATE COLLEGE — State College Mayor Ezra Nanes announced in a news release on Tuesday, Jan. 14, that he would be seeking reelection for mayor in 2025.
“Serving as mayor of State College is the honor of a lifetime,” Nanes said. “Thank you to the State College community for your confidence, support and engagement over the past three years. Serving as mayor of America’s greatest college town has been an incredible, life-changing experience. I have been inspired every day by the people of this community — our families, our students, our working professionals, our business owners, our service members and veterans, our retirees, our Penn Staters — and I am eager to continue serving you.”
Nanes first took office in 2022, though he first entered into the local political scene in 2018 when he challenged the then longtime incumbent Republican state senator Jake Corman in the 34th District election. Though his bid at the time was unsuccessful, a few years later he was elected State College mayor.
His reelection campaign centers around “continuing to enhance the quality of life in State College by championing local business, elevating the town’s profile and building productive relationships with key leaders,” according to the release.
Though, if reelected, Nanes also noted other goals including “investing in sustainable infrastructure, developing the region’s interconnected bike path and trail network, increasing access and affordability in housing, celebrating the area’s many identities and cultures, encouraging the arts, supporting students’ educational growth and ensuring the safety of all people.”
According to the release, key milestones of Nanes first mayoral term were:
- Growing cultural and civic events like Pride, Juneteenth, Latin Fest, Light Up Night, Centre Film Festival and the IronMan 70.3 Triathlon
- Assisting in the securing of funding for the Calder Way project, a pedestrian and bike-friendly initiative that will transform one of State College’s key corridors into a more vibrant, accessible and green space
- Launching initiatives such as the Downtown State College Improvement District free holiday bus token program
- Presiding over the Borough Council’s deliberations and decision to enter a money-saving Solar Power Purchase Agreement, keeping the Borough on track to achieve its carbon emissions reduction goals by as soon as 2030
- Hosting Pennsylvania’s first-ever Dignity Day in Partnership with Penn State and advancing efforts to ensure acceptance, fairness and inclusion for all residents
- Fostering strong working relationships with leaders at the local, university, statewide and national levels, and establishing a Sister City relationship with Nizhyn, Ukraine
“State College deserves high-energy leadership. I will continue to face challenges head-on and bring relentless positivity and self-awareness to this role,” Nanes said. “The office of mayor requires not only a significant capacity for navigating the complexities of public life but also humility and a deep emotional intelligence to connect with people and acknowledge our shared experiences and differences. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far, but there is still more work to do. I am ready to continue showing up for our community and fighting for a State College that affirms the dignity of every resident.”
