Long Beach mayor says he won’t seek third term
Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster announced Tuesday that he would not seek a third term, leaving the race to new candidates vying to lead the city.
“While I love the office I hold and feel no small sense of obligation to continue, I also need time to pursue private opportunities,†Foster wrote in a statement emailed to the Los Angeles Times. “I would like to have real time to write, study and, most importantly, spend time with my family.â€
In his statement, Foster touted “tremendous progress†in Long Beach over the past seven years, citing “the lowest crime rates in a generation†and a budget surplus beginning in October.
He added that his work was not done, with roughly a year left in his mayoral term.
Four people have already filed papers to run in the Long Beach race. In a poll recently commissioned by his campaign committee, Foster was the top pick among likely voters, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reported last week. One of the current candidates was not included in that poll.
Foster was first elected in 2006 and reelected in 2010.
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