Since announcing last Thursday that she will run for a second term in the general election next year, Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert has begun putting her new campaign into place. On her team are Leticia Fraga, chair; Dan Preston, vice-chair; Helen Heintz, treasurer; and former Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman, honorary co-chair.

“It’s an intense job, but like a lot of things that are intense, it’s highly rewarding,” Ms. Lempert, a Democrat, said Monday of her decision to run again. “There aren’t that many jobs where you can have an impact on people’s lives and make things better and actually see that impact. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together with Council, staff, volunteers, and boards and commissions. But there is so much to do and still a lot of activity on the plate that I’d like to have the opportunity to work on.”

Ms. Lempert is the first to declare candidacy for the next election. Those seeking to be eligible for endorsement by the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) must register by February at the latest, and usually do so before or after the winter holidays.

The issues of affordability and sustainability figure highly on Ms. Lempert’s list of priorities. During her term in office, Princeton has secured a AAA bond rating, been named an Age Friendly Community by the World Health Organization, won the Sustainable Jersey Leadership Award, and the Innovation Award from the New Jersey League of Municipalities, among other honors.

“We’ve been making major strides toward innovation, and we should continue that. We want to be a model of effective, efficient government for the 21st century,” she said.

Ms. Lempert, 46, was elected the first mayor of consolidated Princeton in 2012, defeating Republican candidate Richard Woodbridge. She had previously worked on the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama, and served on Princeton Township Committee. A California native, she has lived in Princeton for 13 years with her husband, Ken Norman, a neuroscience professor at Princeton University, and their two daughters.

Last year, Ms. Lempert supported Council candidates Bernie Miller and Sue Nemeth in their effort to unseat Council member Jo Butler, a move that pitted Democrats against each other. Ms. Butler and Mr. Miller, who is Council president, prevailed. “We put that behind us and got down to work,” Ms. Lempert said. “Healthy discourse is a sign of a healthy town. But overall, I think Council has done a really great job representing different voices of the community.”

The general election will be held next November. Local Democrats endorse candidates for office in March, deciding whom to support in the primary election.