Mayor Thomas Menino.
Credit: Nicolaus Czarnecki/METRO
Mayor Thomas Menino, the longest-serving mayor in the city’s history, is expected to announce Thursdaythat he will not seek re-election this fall and end his tenure in less than a year. [embedgallery id=127028]
A city sourcetold Metro that an afternoon event is planned forThursday at Faneuil Hall where Menino will make the announcement that he will not seek re-election.
At the end of last year Menino fell ill and required weeks of hospitalization followed by more weeks of rehabilitation. Doctors diagnosed the 70-year-old mayor with Type 2 diabetes. Menino now gets around with the use of a cane.
Menino was a city councilor from Hyde Park when he became acting mayor in 1993 to fill in for then-Mayor Ray Flynn who was appointed ambassador to the Vatican. Menino then ran for mayor and hasn’t lost since. He has served five terms.
The decision by Menino puts City Councilor John Connolly ahead in the upcoming fall election. Connolly, 39,earlier this year announced his intention to run for mayor regardless if Menino chose to run again. However, Menino’s decision not to run will likely blow the candidate field wide open.
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