FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – A Florence preacher wants to be the city’s next mayor. Tony McElveen made the announcement Monday that he would run in the Florence mayoral race, even though he filed the paperwork a couple of weeks ago.

McElveen is the pastor of Greater Faith World Outreach Ministries in Florence. He says he’s running for mayor because he wants to, among other things, culturally unify the City of Florence.

“I feel the city is divided and Abraham Lincoln, just before he signed the Emancipation Proclamation, he said a city divided can’t stand and so this city belongs to all of us and so it’s time for all the people to come together and really make this city the greatest it can ever be,” said McElveen during his announcement.

Mcelveen is a Democrat, as is incumbent Mayor Stephen Wukela, who is running for re-election of his third term.

The primary election is June 14.