District Attorney Dan Conley Announces Bid For Mayor
Photo via suffolkdistrictattorney.com
Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley thinks Boston is a “great city” with the potential of becoming the most livable place in the country. That’s why he wants to run it from City Hall.
On Wednesday, Conley officially threw his hat in the race for the mayor of Boston, just days after long-standing Mayor Tom Menino announced he would not seek another term in office, ending his 20-year reign in the city.
In a statement about his interest in the mayoral race, Conley says “with the right leadership” Boston’s best days are still ahead. Conley said in a prepared statement issued Wednesday:
“To make Boston the city we want it to be requires a mayor who can make tough decisions, even when they offend powerful interests and upset the status quo. It’s going to require a mayor who leads with integrity, for whom transparency is a way of doing business and not just a buzzword, and who will ensure that city government is responsive and accountable to the people it serves.”
Conley says he wants to work with businesses and residents to help Boston reach its full potential, and make the area “a city defined not by old divisions and superficial differences but by our shared hopes and aspirations,” adding he intends to put his heart, soul and “several pairs of shoes” into the campaign. (He may want to put a copy editor on that list, since in his press release, he announced he was for people who are “fixed on incomes,” rather than “on fixed income.” Oops.)
Conley, who has served as the District Attorney in Suffolk County since 2002, has focused strongly on anti-gang laws and putting an end to Internet crime, specifically identity theft and online child enticement. He has been in charge of countless criminal, and death investigations, including the high-profile disappearance of Boston College student Franco Garcia in 2012.
Conley’s announcement puts him up against City Councilor John Connolly in a race that’s heating up quickly, with more anticipated announcements from potential candidates expected to come out. As Conley steps up to announce he is running for mayor, other potential candidates have also shied away from the race, however. State Senator Sonia Chang Diaz told reporters she “loves her job” and has no plans to seek the top position in Boston. “Deep thanks to all of you who’ve reached out to me w/encouragement to run for [Boston mayor],” Diaz said on Twitter Wednesday. “I’m honored by your support, even though this is not the right time for me and my family.”
