Atlantic City Mayor Marty small announces re-election bid

Marty Small, who has held elective office in Atlantic City for 22 years, from school board to council and mayor, expects to be acquitted of the current charges of child abuse and witness tampering he’s facing, is expecting voters to keep him as mayor.

He made the announcement, saying, "I'm formally announcing I'm seeking your support and your vote for re-election for mayor of Atlantic City."

What we know:

Voters turned out for the statement in a church across the street from City Hall. What they may only know is that he and his wife, La’Quetta Small, the Atlantic City Schools superintendent, are facing criminal charges for physically and emotionally abusing their daughter.

Mayor Small is also charged with asking his daughter to lie about the allegations. Tuesday evening, his family was there, except for his daughter.

What they're saying:

"A lot of people said they didn’t think I was gonna run for re-election. You must not know about me," Small stated.

FOX 29’s Steve Keeley asked, "Everyone's gonna wonder, ‘Your family was out here, you introduced them, but your daughter was absent. People are going to ask where was your daughter tonight?"

"That was intentional. Our family has been through so much. When my daughter sees cameras, she freaks out. And, it’s our job to protect her," Small replied.

Keeley continued, "They see headlines, indictment, charges…how do you get voters to see beyond that?"
"No, the difference is the people of Atlantic City know me," Small stated. "You heard me tell and articulate to over 500 people that the residents of Atlantic City have elected me for 22 straight years. That included two previous indictments. Let's not forget that the people know who I am. I'm of the community I didn't forget where I come from. I'm not coming out of the closet saying, hey, pick me I’m running for mayor. That's it the case. And, if you couldn't see this picture here tonight, I don’t know when people will ever see it. The people of Atlantic City are with me."

What's next:

The Atlantic City mayor primary is June 10th.

Atlantic CityCrime & Public SafetyNews