Hartford City Hall (Courtesy Photo / Grondemar / CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saying the city’s poor neighborhoods are missing out on economic development elsewhere in the city, and suffering from sub-par schools and housing, Hartford state Rep. Brandon McGee has declared his candidacy for mayor.

McGee, a nonprofit administrator, community activist and administrative pastor at the Citadel of Life church, just began his fourth term in the state legislature representing northern Hartford and Windsor. He currently chairs the legislature’s housing committee.

“Hartford has seen many positives in recent years, but our disenfranchised neighborhoods, like the one where I grew up, are still seeking signs of change – in economic development, education and housing,” McGee said in a statement emailed to The Commercial Record. “I’m running for mayor because I know there are so many people in this city who believe we can and must ensure that opportunities are available to everyone, regardless of ZIP code or socioeconomic status.”

At a press conference announcing his run, McGee criticized first-term Mayor Luke Bronin’s “commitment to the city,” citing Bronin’s failed run for governor last year, according to the Hartford Courant.