Former Philly Mayor Michael Nutter says he won’t run again now ‘or in any other year’

Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said Tuesday that he won’t run for mayor again, shutting down rumors that he was considering launching a third bid for the office.

During an event hosted by the news website the Philadelphia Citizen, Nutter appeared on stage as part of a panel assembled to interview Derek Green, a former City Council member and one of nine Democrats running for mayor. To begin the program, Nutter said he is “not running for mayor of the city of Philadelphia in 2023 or in any other year into the future.”

The two-term mayor who served before current Mayor Jim Kenney has taken calls from leaders in the city’s business and civic sectors over the last several months who tried to draft him to run again. Under the city’s Home Rule Charter, mayors can’t serve more than two successive terms, but they may leave office for a term or longer and then be elected again.

» READ MORE: Who is running for Philadelphia mayor in 2023?

Some backers suggested his strong name recognition could have cut through a crowded field of former City Council members and ex-officeholders. But Nutter never took any formal steps toward launching a campaign. He didn’t solicit donors, build a staff, or commission a poll.

Nutter said during Tuesday’s event that he intends to start a center for public policy at the University of Pennsylvania and is focused on addressing poverty and income inequality in the city. He portrayed speculation about him considering a run as little more than gossip.

“There’s clearly been a fair amount of media discussion on the topic of the mayor’s race that involved my name,” he said. “It’s kind of surprising.”

The only other Democrat rumored to be considering a run but who hasn’t formally joined the field is West Philadelphia State Sen. Vincent Hughes, who paid for a poll gauging voter support for a potential mayoral bid.

He’s expected to decide on whether to enter the race within a week.