Yahoo News Councillor launches campaign to become next North Tyneside Elected Mayor
A second candidate has launched a campaign to become the next North Tyneside Elected Mayor.
Labour's Karen Clark is the next to announce her bid to become Dame Norma Redfearn's successor, after Whitley Bay North councillor Joe Kirwin, also from Labour, did so last week.
The North Tyneside councillor, who represents the Longbenton and Benton ward, is aiming to become the Labour candidate for the election in May 2025. She is the Cabinet Member for Public Health, Safety and Wellbeing, and is currently in her third term of office after being re-elected in May.
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Dame Norma Redfearn announced earlier this year that she would not be campaigning for a fourth term as Mayor, a position that she has held since 2013, when she defeated Conservative Linda Arkley.
It is expected that more Labour politicians in North Tyneside will enter the race to succeed her. Labour members living in North Tyneside will vote to decide who their candidate is, once the party has made its final shortlist.
Councillor Karen Clark shared the announcement on X, and she said: "I was born and brought up in North Tyneside, I raised my family here, and my grandchildren go to our local schools.
"I'm standing to be the Elected Mayor because I love North Tyneside and its people. It's a great place to live, work and visit.
"I have the experience and the leadership to build on the achievements of Norma Redfearn. Together, we will create a better, more inclusive North Tyneside, improving the lives of all our residents, in all neighbourhoods, towns and villages across the Borough.
"Local people will be at the heart of everything I do."
