(Matt Drzik/Beaver County Radio)

Late yesterday afternoon, Beaver Falls mayor Dr. Kenya Johns announced on her Facebook page that she will be running for Pennsylvania State Representative.

In her announcement, Johns stated that “this decision was not made lightly. It is important that in all that we do that we focus on what is best for the people and the community. I believe that I will represent our community proudly but I cannot and will not do this alone”.

Johns is running for State Representative following a two-year stint as mayor of Beaver Falls, becoming the first mayor of color and second female mayor of the city (after Faye Javens in 1962) following her election in 2021.