‘Honor of a lifetime’: Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty says he will not seek reelection

After 10 terms on the Boston City Council, Councilor At-Large Michael Flaherty announced Wednesday that he has withdrawn his name from the November ballot and will not seek reelection.

In a statement posted to Twitter, Flaherty said he intends to finish the rest of his term and currently has no plans to run for another public office. 

“While this decision will come as a surprise to many, I reached it after much deliberation and self-reflection over the past few months, and in close consultation with my wife and family,” Flaherty wrote. “By the end of this year, I will have served on the City Council for twenty years. I believe I have served the city of Boston and its residents faithfully and effectively during my tenure, but it is now time to turn the page and move on to the next chapter of my life.”

Born and raised in Boston, Flaherty first served on the council from 2000 to 2008, spending five of those years as council president, according to his City Council bio. He made an unsuccessful bid for mayor in 2009 — falling short to incumbent Mayor Tom Menino — before returning to the City Council in 2013. 

“I wish to thank my many friends and supporters for their help and encouragement over the past two decades, for I truly could not have done this without them,” Flaherty wrote in his statement. “I also wish to thank my colleagues in government and the many hard-working employees in Boston City Hall.”

He said his devotion to Boston will continue after he leaves public office.

“While my time on the City Council may be drawing to a close, I will continue to fight in my own way, in a new way, to help keep Boston the best major city in America in which to live, work, and raise a family,” Flaherty wrote. 

In a tweet accompanying his statement, he added: “It has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the city that I love.”

News of Flaherty’s decision quickly made the rounds on social media, where city officials, local advocates, and Boston voters weighed in.

City Council President Ed Flynn described Flaherty as “an outstanding lawyer and loyal friend” who championed LGBTQ+ and civil rights, public safety, community preservation, affordable housing, and other issues.

“Although we will miss his courageous leadership and unparalleled knowledge of city government to bring people together, we will look to follow his example and legacy of treating all with respect and dignity to help move Boston forward,” Flynn shared in a statement.

In a statement of her own, fellow Councilor At-Large Erin Murphy wrote that Flaherty “has always brought energy, creativity, and vision to this job, and the Council will miss his common-sense policies and his devotion to always putting the city first.”

Some of Flaherty’s former colleagues also shared their thoughts, with former Councilor Matt O’Malley describing Flaherty’s decision to pass on another term a “titanic loss for the Council.” 

Former Councilor Josh Zakim called it a “pleasure & a privilege” to work alongside Flaherty, adding in a tweet: “His dedication to his constituents and institutional knowledge were invaluable to the residents of Boston and to us as his Council colleagues.”

Abby Patkin

Staff Writer

Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.

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