Plainfield councilwoman makes it 3-way race for mayor

• Councilwoman Bridget Rivers announced her Plainfield mayoral bid on Tuesday.
• Mayor Adrian Mapp announced his bid for re-election on Monday.
• The Rev. Tracey Brown announced her bid for mayor in January.

PLAINFIELD - The councilwoman for the 4th Ward has become the latest contender to join the city's mayoral race.

Bridget Rivers announced her mayoral bid on Tuesday. She will be running against the Rev. Tracey Brown and Mayor Adrian Mapp, who announced his bid for re-election on Monday.

Rivers, according to the news release, is a lifelong resident of Plainfield and has served as president on the city's Board of Education.

READ: Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp announces re-election bid

READ: The Rev. Tracey Brown announces Plainfield mayoral bid at safety forum

“Plainfield is such a vibrant city with a lot of potential,” Rivers said. “However, I came into city government years ago with great anticipation that progressive partnerships would be formed to move Plainfield forward. Instead, I have seen progressive relationships dismantled that have hindered progress in the city. As the next mayor of Plainfield, I plan to rebuild a stronger, better, united Queen City.”

She also said that she is "not a perfect person but I am glad to know experience is a good teacher" and that “God has blessed me to use my experiences to help others, drives me to engage with critical thinking, due diligence and research to work on solutions to bridge the gaps and find solutions for Plainfield residents."

In his announcement for his re-election bid, Mapp said, "My heart is in Plainfield."

"I've been in this city for almost 40 years, and my desire has always been to give back to this community and see it prosper and thrive," he said. "We've had some outstanding achievements over the past three years, but there is more work to do. I'm seeking re-election because I believe in Plainfield and I'm committed to working hard on behalf of every single resident here."

He has also been endorsed by U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Assemblyman Jerry Green, who both said that Mapp has proven himself to be a strong leader in Plainfield.

As MyCentralJersey.com previously reported, Plainfield had 12 homicides in 2016, the highest in the city in more than a decade and the highest in Union County for the year, but its nonviolent and violent crime rates decreased.

At her mayoral bid announcement, which took place at a gumbo restaurant in January, Brown said that she has the heart needed for Plainfield because she has lived in the city for more than 40 years.

Brown was the presiding pastor of the funeral services of several of the city's murder victims in 2016.

"I believe that the city can go in a better direction. I believe that I have the heart for this city. I've been in Plainfield for over 40 years," she said. "I believe that I can be the leader that this city really needs."

The primary for the mayoral race will take place in June and the general election is in November.

Staff Writer Nick Muscavage: 908-243-6615; ngmuscavage@gannettnj.com