Tom Ammiano Makes It Official: He Won't Be Next Mayor

Count me out, says Tom Ammiano

​Assemblyman Tom Ammiano told SF Weekly, in no uncertain terms, he doesn't want to be the next damn mayor. He told his former board colleagues the same. He hasn't yet hired out a pilot to do skywriting -- but his drift is unmissable.

Supervisor Chris Daly remains undaunted. "I think it's clear that Tom doesn't *want* to do it," wrote Daly in an e-mail regarding the online petition he's started to draft Ammiano. "I think it's slightly less clear that he can't be convinced to change his mind. And that's what I'm focused on at the moment."

Perhaps it's time to unfocus. With the supes scheduled to vote on a mayoral successor today -- or not -- Ammiano put out a formal statement. Its essence: Thanks but no thanks.

Here's the whole thing:

"I sincerely appreciate and understand the recent public efforts asking that I seek the nomination for interim mayor when Mayor Newsom steps down in January to become Lt. Governor but I must respectfully decline any nomination from the Board of Supervisors.

I was sworn in yesterday for my second term in the California State Assembly and I believe that the same strong progressive values that have inspired my twenty years as an elected official are needed now more than ever in the State Capitol. One of the weaknesses of our current state government is a lack of true investment in the various elected offices due to the revolving door syndrome caused by term limits but I am committed to finishing the work that I have begun in Sacramento, including reforming our antiquated marijuana laws, closing the corporate loopholes in Proposition 13, ensuring adequate funding for the on-going battle against AIDS and continuing the struggle for equal rights for our LGBT community.

I look forward to working closely with whoever is chosen to fill the mayoral vacancy so that we are able to solve the daunting challenges facing both the city and the state, making sure that we do what is best for San Francisco and California during the difficult days that lay ahead."

Sincerely, Tom Ammiano, Assemblymember, 13th District

Including the "Assemblymember, 13th District" at the tail of this letter seems a bit formal. Certainly everyone knows that's what Ammiano's doing these days. It would seem that he'd like everyone to know he'd prefer to be doing that in the future, too.

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