Robin Grimes has seen nothing change in the seven years she's lived in Atlantic City, so she decided to do something herself: run for mayor.
Grimes, 51, announced her candidacy to The Press of Atlantic City on Friday, showing city papers that confirm she is vying for the Democratic nomination. She will go by Robin “Taylormade” Grimes, a play on her maiden name, Taylor.
Grimes’ focus would be on the city’s children and the homeless — both topics she knows something about.
The retired special education teacher found herself homeless in Atlantic City a few years ago. She was staying at the Rescue Mission and basically living out of her car until a friend took her in. Now, she is hoping to buy a new home.
She will soon be on Social Security disability, she said, but “that doesn’t make me disabled where I can’t help others.”
Grimes said she would like to see the city have more things for children to do, such as a movie theater and bowling alley.
“I want to bring in something for them to do with their time,” she said. “We need something for them to have their energy go in another direction because there’s just too much crime.”
She lives in the city’s Downtown section, just a short distance from the troubled area of Back Maryland.
Grimes grew up in Salem with three brothers, father and gospel artist mother who also is a minister of music at a Baptist church in Camden.
“We need everyone working together,” she said. “We need parents to work not just with kids but with us adults. We need to work in one accord.”
Grimes brings to five the number of people who have announced their candidacy for mayor.
Incumbent Lorenzo Langford is running for re-election as a Democrat, with primary challengers Atlantic County Freeholder Charles Garrett and retired police officer and PBA President Dave Davidson Jr. Longtime Special Improvement District head, Don Guardian, is running as a Republican.
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