Will Mbah announced today that if elected State Representative for the 34th Middlesex District, he intends to resign his seat on the Somerville City Council in order to fully dedicate himself to serving community members at the State House.

The Somerville City Charter specifies that vacant at-large seats on City Council will be filled by the fifth-place candidate in the most recent local election. In this case, union leader and social worker Marianne Walles would fill Mbah’s seat if vacated.

Mbah said he wanted to be transparent with community members about his intentions and expressed strong confidence in Walles’ ability to serve the city.

“Marianne Walles is a union leader, a social worker, and a deeply committed advocate for working people,” Mbah said. “She brings compassion, integrity, and a strong understanding of the challenges facing families in our community.”

Mbah also said the decision was rooted in his belief that public officials should give their full attention to the responsibilities voters entrust in them.

“Serving simultaneously as an at-large City Councilor and as State Representative for the 34th Middlesex District would create unnecessary distractions and competing demands,” Mbah said. “The people of Somerville and Medford deserve a representative who is fully focused on the work at hand, and I believe this is the most responsible path forward.”