Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton announces he'll run for Congress

PHOENIX - Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton wants to leave City Hall to go to Congress. The 47-year-old Stanton announced Thursday that he's running for the Democratic nomination for Arizona's 9th Congressional District now held by fellow Democrat Kyrsten Sinema.

Sinema announced last week that she'll run in 2018 for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Jeff Flake.

On Facebook, Stanton stated, "It's been the honor of my life to serve as Mayor of Phoenix. But with what's happening in Washington, we need representatives who will fight for our community and protect our most vulnerable. Arizonans deserve better than what we're getting from Washington, and there has never been a more consequential time in the fight to protect the middle class. In Congress, I'll continue to do what we've done in Phoenix: deliver real results that improve people's lives."

>>VIDEO: Greg Stanton announces run for Congress

The 9th District includes parts of Phoenix and several suburbs.

Stanton previously considered running for Arizona Secretary of State.

An attorney, Stanton was first elected mayor in 2011 and re-elected in 2015. As mayor, he has supported expansion of Phoenix's light rail system and redevelopment of the city's central core.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.