Former Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford, who 25 years ago attended the Million Man March in Washington, D.C.
ATLANTIC CITY — Former Mayor Lorenzo Langford said Thursday he might challenge Mayor Marty Small Sr. in this year’s Democratic primary.
Small’s chief of staff, Ernest Coursey, said Thursday the mayor had no comment on Langford’s possible candidacy.
Republican turned Democrat Steve Layman, who was part of the finance and budget transition team for former Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr., also has said he will run in the Democratic primary. The financial services professional is backing an $18-per-hour minimum living wage requirement for entities in the city that employ more than 75 workers.
Langford and Small last ran against each other in 2009, when Langford defeated Small and went on to be elected mayor until his defeat by Republican Don Guardian in 2013.
Langford said he will decide about whether to run “in a few weeks.”
People are also reading…
ATLANTIC CITY — Mayor Marty Small Sr.’s victory on Election Day earned him more than just an…
“I am considering it. Beyond that, I don’t want to make any comments,” said Langford, 65, declining to specify what motivated him to think about vying for mayor again. “If I decide to declare, everybody will know. If I decide not to declare, everybody will know.”
Small was appointed interim mayor in October 2019, when he succeeded Gilliam, who pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and resigned.
Small won election in November to finish out one year of Gilliam’s unexpired term. Small defeated Republican Tom Forkin in the general election, after defeating Democrats Pamela Thomas-Fields and Jimmy Whitehead in the Democratic primary in July.
A former casino worker, Langford was first elected to City Council in 1992. He ran for mayor against Democrat Jim Whelan unsuccessfully in 1993 and 1997, but defeated him in 2001.
He lost the Democratic primary to Bob Levy in 2005, but Levy resigned after admitting to lying about aspects of his military service during the Vietnam War to get additional veterans benefits.
In a special election primary that followed in June 2008, Langford won and was elected in November 2008 to serve out Levy’s term.
In 2009, Langford defeated Small, then a councilman, in the June primary election. In the November general election, Langford won a full four-year term by defeating Republican mayoral candidate Jesse Kurtz.
Langford lost to Guardian in 2013.
GALLERY: Food distribution for Atlantic City residents, casino workers
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
HIDE VERTICAL GALLERY ASSET TITLES
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Over 14 food drives at Bader Field in Atlantic City, volunteers and organizers have learned to make the distribution, intended to help the families of laid-off casino workers, run efficiently. The food drives have been funded to run through 2021.
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Local 54 and the Community food bank held another food drive for Atlantic City residents and Local 54 employees. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Rubaid Hassnat, 20, of Atlantic City, has taken two semesters off from Rutgers University during the COVID-19 pandemic. His parents are both out of work.
nws_fooddrive
Rubaid Hassnat 20, of Atlantic City waits in his car during another food drive in Atlantic City hosted by local 54 and the Community food bank. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Rubaid Hassnat 20, of Atlantic City waits in his car during another food drive in Atlantic City hosted by local 54 and the Community food bank. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Edina Hayek, 27, of Atlantic City, has worked through the pandemic but struggles supporting her 9-year-old daughter with virtual schooling.
nws_fooddrive
Mrs. New Jersey Kristina Henderson helps give out facemasks during the latest food drive in Atlantic City. Atlantic City, NJ. January 21, 2021 (Kristian Gonyea/For The Press of Atlantic City )
nws_fooddrive
Mrs. New Jersey American 2020 Kristina Henderson gives out masks during Thursday’s food drive at Bader Field.
LANGFORD
SMALL
Michelle Brunetti Post
Staff Writer
In my first job after college got paid to read the New York Times and summarize articles for an early online data base. First reporting job was with The Daily Record in Parsippany. I have also worked in nonprofits, and have been with The Press since 1990.
Welcome to the discussion.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.