Washington, D.C. Muriel Bowser (D) announced that she would not be seeking re-election for a fourth term as the city’s mayor, and expressed that it “has been the honor” of her life to serve as mayor.
In a statement posted to X, Bowser highlighted how her administration had kept Washington, D.C. sports teams in the capital, and had raised “enrollment and graduation rates” in schools, among other things. Bowser also highlighted how her administration brought the city “back from the ravages of a global pandemic.”
“It has been the honor of my life to be your mayor,” Bowser said in her statement. “When you placed your trust in me ten years ago, you gave me an extraordinary opportunity to have a positive impact on my hometown. Every day since, I’ve cherished that opportunity, and have happily given all of my passion and energy to a job I love.”
Bowser’s statement continued in part:
We delivered on big projects like McMillan and St. Elizabeths, and invested nearly $1 billion in Ward 8, including the brand new, full-service Cedar Hill regional medical center. We drove unemployment to its lowest levels, achieved a AAA bond rating and strong reserves, quadrupled CBE spending, and completed the largest infrastructure project in our city’s history with the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
We also brough our city back from the ravages of a global pandemic and summoned our collective strength to stand tall against bullies who threatened our very autonomy, while preserving Home Rule. That is our north star.
Throughout this remarkable journey, I’ve been honored to serve with countless dedicated city executives and extraordinary front-line workers, the incredible people who keep Washington, DC thriving every day. For their bold vision, big ideas, personal sacrifices, and relentless pursuit of excellence in service to this great city, I am deeply grateful.
Bowser, who was first elected to serve as the city’s mayor in 2014, told the Washington Post that before her father died last year, she told him “She did not think she would run again.”
The outlet noted that Bowser’s decision not to seek another term as mayor “opens up what is bound to be a highly competitive mayor’s race.”
Read the full article here