Williams, who has had a long directing career since the popular sitcom ended in the mid-1980s, made the announcement during a recent city council meeting.
And he's already backed by The Fonz. Henry Winkler, responding to a tweet from ABC7's George Pennacchio, declared "You have my vote."
Candidates for city offices have until July 18 to declare their candidacy.
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Williams played Warren "Potsie" Weber on the ABC sitcom from 1974 to 1984.
Since then, he has been a successful television director on dozens of episodes of shows such as "Baywatch," "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and "Melrose Place," among others.