Meet Jim Mulligan: Scranton Republican Mayoral Candidate
On Friday the 2nd of August, Lackawanna County’s Executive Committee of the Republican Party officially elected Attorney Jim Mulligan as the new Republican mayoral candidate of Scranton.
Mulligan spent his childhood in the Greenwood section of Moosic, where he lived until leaving for college to earn his Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice at Penn State University. He is also an alum of Villanova University, having attended there to earn a Masters degree in Public Administration. Following college and law school, he came back to settle in Scranton, where he has lived for the last 25 years with his wife and nine children.
14 months ago, Mulligan was in a serious car accident that required a five-month hospital stay in the intensive care unit. Mulligan cites one of his reasons for running for mayor as being able to give back to the people of Scranton who selflessly helped his family during such a difficult time. He stated, “The people of Scranton stepped up, and now it’s my turn to step up.”
As for the experience and qualifications required of a mayoral candidate, Mulligan has served in the past as the city solicitor of Scranton, and has been general counsel to both the Office of Education and Community Development and the Scranton Sewer Authority. In addition to practicing law, he also currently teaches at Marywood University and lectures at the University of Scranton.
When asked about the differences between his competitor and himself, Mulligan most notably said “Well, first of all, I’m not a politician.” He believes that he possesses the creative thinking and vision to put forth unique initiatives (including working with the University of Scranton, Marywood, and other colleges) that could finally solve some of the city’s serious financial challenges, among other problems. “Mr. Courtright was on the council for six years. He was the tax collector. Quite honestly I don’t believe that he’s displayed the leadership qualities that are necessary to lead as the mayor. I believe I have those. I have plenty of experience in government, and with my law practice as well, to lead the city,” Mulligan noted.
As for his views on party politics, Mulligan stated “This election is too important, it’s not about being a Republican or a Democrat. I believe that the can has been kicked down the road far too long. It’s time that we stand up, make tough decisions, and as one of the former mayors I worked for said: ‘You see that pothole there, Jim? That’s not a Republican pothole. That’s not a Democratic pothole. That’s a Scranton pothole, and we need to fix that pothole.’ So that’s what we need to do. We need to fix the challenges that are facing the city, and we need to do it together.”
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