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New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart announces she won't seek re-election, hints at run for governor

Mayor Erin Stewart has served in the position since 2013 when she was elected as the youngest mayor in New Britain's history.

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart announced Tuesday morning that she will not be seeking a seventh term in office. She hinted at what's next for her in the political field as she reflected on her 12-year legacy in office as New Britain's mayor.

Stewart, a Republican, posted a seven-minute-long video on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, recounting her time as mayor and her announcement that she will not seek re-election. 

The next election for the New Britain mayorship is in November 2025. 

"After 12 years, it's time for new leaders to step forward to write the next volume for New Britain, and it's time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life," Stewart said in the video. "I will not be seeking reelection to a seventh term as mayor of New Britain. The next election is in November of 2025. It will be the first time in 15 years that you won't see my name on a municipal ballot."

"I stand here with an immense sense of pride that this legacy will live on," Stewart said as she made the official announcement outside City Hall Tuesday morning. She shared how over her 12 years in office, she helped pull the city out of financial deficit and "stabilize" finances in an effort to not raise taxes "in the foreseeable future."

After her announcement, Stewart hinted at possibly running for Connecticut governor in 2026 and having to make that decision by early 2025.

"I'm happy to take any and all questions about me running for governor now, go ahead, (laughs)," Stewart said.

"I know that I have to look at that and take it seriously, it's not just something that I want to jump into...What I do know is that I won't be able to do that and do that effectively if I am mayor at the same time," Stewart elaborated. She ran for Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut under the Republican ticket in the 2018 election and lost in the primary. She initially filed to run for Governor but withdrew it to then run for Lt. Gov.

A possible run for U.S. Congress, however, is not something she's considering at this point of time.

"Everyone's been asking me to do this [run for Congress] for years," Stewart said. "It's a huge risk because I have little babies and mom has to be there for them instead of on a plane back and forth to Washington D.C. four times a week."

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Stewart is the 40th mayor of the city. She was first elected at the age of 26 in 2013 and was the youngest mayor in New Britain's history. She was also the only woman to be elected as the city's mayor for more than one term. 

Stewart's father, Tim Stewart, had also served as mayor of New Britain from 2003 to 2011. 

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Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com

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