Mayor Thomas Menino officially announced this afternoon that he will not run again after a record 20 years in office at a Faneuil Hall event broadcast live by New England Cable News.
Menino also said he has no desire to pick his successor.
After arriving on stage to the tune of “My Way,” Menino indicated that his recent health problems that hospitalized him for a long period are a major reason he will not run again.
“I’m back to a mayor schedule, but not a Menino schedule,” he said, referring to his famously long days and practice of visiting scores of community events per week. He choked up several times during the speech while pointing to various policy successes.
He also promised to remain involved in civic life in some fashion, saying he is not retiring.
“All I’m doing today is saying I’m not running. I have nine months left [in office],” Menino said after going off-script at the conclusion of his speech. He continued in a joking manner, “Just think of what I could do in nine months. I don’t have to worry about voters or anything. We could have some real fun.”