Democrat Ezra Nanes announced Monday he’ll run to become State College’s next mayor. He formerly ran for state Senate in 2018 and unsuccessfully attempted to challenge Republican incumbent Jake Corman.

Nanes, the director of business development at AccuWeather, is the first candidate to officially declare for the race. He’ll need to secure a win in May’s primary before setting his sights on November’s Election Day.

In a press release, Nanes said he’s committed to “strong, empathetic leadership, unifying public discourse, and policies that center on the community’s needs.

“We have to be there for one another through these challenging times so we can all come out on the other side stronger, more united, and with a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for all that we have here in State College,” Nanes said. “At some point, we will emerge from the pandemic, and we need to be ready to move decisively forward, guided by a vision that inspires all of us.”

In his announcement, Nanes thanked interim mayor Ron Filippelli, who is currently serving the remainder of former mayor Ronald Hahn’s four-year term. Filippelli’s time in office will expire in November 2021.

In September, Nanes was nominated to fill the unexpired term of former Councilman Dan Murphy. Katherine Yeaple ultimately was appointed to the position.

Nanes earned his bachelor’s degree from Penn (read: not Penn State) and later received a master’s degree from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.

Following graduation, Nanes worked at AccuWeather for more than eight years and played an “instrumental role” in the company’s growth over that span. In his free time, he said he’s an outdoorsman and works to maintain and expand local trail networks, including Rothrock State Forest.

Nanes lives with his wife and two children in State College’s College Heights neighborhood. He said his children are a primary motivation for his commitment to “building a world that we can all feel proud