Politics

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller says she’s not running for re-election

"I’m all in on working as hard as ever for the next 394 days as your Mayor. There is much to do," Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller wrote Tuesday.

Ruthanne Fuller Newton Mayor speaking during a public forum on antisemitism in the Newton City Hall Auditorium in 2023. Photo by Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

By Molly Farrar

December 3, 2024

2 minutes to read

Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller, who became the first woman elected to the position in 2017, said Tuesday that she won’t be seeking re-election. Her second four-year term will go through 2025.

Before serving as mayor, Fuller was a Newton City Councilor for eight years. She did not give a reason for her decision to not to run in her announcement Tuesday, but said she looks forward to spending time with her grandchildren, children, and her husband.

“I can confidently say that today I am prouder than ever to be a Newtonian and enthusiastic about our future,” Fuller said. “I look forward to continuing to serve our common goals, our common good, and our Commonwealth in other ways.”

In 2017, Fuller narrowly defeated Scott Lennon after Setti Warren, the first Black mayor in the state, stepped aside to run for governor. In 2021, she more handily won re-election to the office against Amy Mah Sangiolo, who was recently elected as a state representative.

Since then, Newton hit the national spotlight during an educators strike earlier this year, which closed schools for 11 days. The Newton Teachers Association clashed with the School Committee and Fuller, who was blamed in part for some stalls in negotiations.

In her announcement, Fuller, a Democrat, highlighted her investment into five new and renovated school buildings and adapting policy like restrictions on cell phone use in schools. Her administration also prioritized affordable housing and public transit, including plans to rebuild the Newtonville Station on the Framingham-Worcester Line.

She also touted her preservation of Webster Woods, which the city acquired from Boston College in 2019 through eminent domain, “for generations to enjoy in perpetuity.”

“I’m all in on working as hard as ever for the next 394 days as your Mayor. There is much to do. The work of this city and the needs of our residents are always evolving in education, transportation, housing, climate resiliency, public safety, public health, community and civility,” she wrote. “We are blessed to live here in Newton.”

Greg Reibman, the president and CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber, said in a newsletter that her tenure will most likely be viewed positively.

“The chamber thanks the mayor for leadership and support of the city’s businesses, nonprofits and our overall economic and cultural vitality, including during the pandemic,” he wrote. “I thank her for her partnership, support and friendship.”

Right now, only City Council President Marc Laredo, also a Democrat, has announced his intention to run for mayor in 2025.

“All residents of Newton owe Mayor Fuller a debt of gratitude for her many years of hard work on behalf of our city,” Laredo said in a statement to The Boston Globe. “She leaves a strong legacy of accomplishment, and I look forward to working with her during the remainder of her term in office.”