Mark Hughes, who has served on the City Council since 2005, will not seek re-election this year. (File photo)
After 13 years on the Benicia City Council, Mark Hughes announced Friday that he would not seek re-election in November.
In an email sent out Friday, the councilmember said he had given a lot of thought to the decision but ultimately decided to focus on his family.
“Spending more time with my family, including my 96 year-old mother, my 11-month-old granddaughter, and all family and friends in between, is a very high priority for me, and at this point in our lives, it’s important for Michele and I to have more flexibility in our schedule to accomplish this,” Hughes wrote.
After years as a Pacific Gas & Electric executive, Hughes was appointed to the Parks, Recreation and Cemetery Commission in 1994. In 2005, he was elected to the City Council and re-elected in 2009 and 2014, the latter of which he and Councilmember Alan Schwartzman ran unopposed. Hughes received enough votes in 2014 to be named as the city’s vice mayor, a position he held until 2016. In that year, he ran for mayor against Elizabeth Patterson but was narrowly defeated. During his time on the council, Hughes has been a proponent for economic development, balanced budgets and public safety.
Hughes thanked those who have supported him over the years.
“My time on the City Council has been an incredible journey, and I have been blessed to meet and maintain many life-long friends along the way,” he wrote. “Your support has always been truly appreciated, but it’s your friendship that I cherish the most.”
Hughes said he would be keeping an eye open for other opportunities “perhaps in as early as two years,” hinting at another run for office in 2020.
The 2018 City Council race has three candidates: Planning Commission Chair Kari Birdseye, Economic Development Board Chair Lionel Largaespada and former Councilmember Christina Strawbridge. Schwartzman, the other incumbent eligible for re-election, did not file papers to run again by the Friday deadline, which has been extended through Wednesday. When reached for comment, he said he would discuss his decision Wednesday.
Sharing is caring!
Mr. Hughes, thank you for your service. Your presence will be missed.
I will miss Mark’s wit and candor on the City Council. But I know and agree with him that family must come first. All my best wishes and hopes that he continues to be an active member of our community. And added thanks for helping with the take down of a vendor’s Peddlers Fair canopy. They are so much easier to handle with more hands.
City council is mostly a thankless task. So I want to say, Thank You.
Finding people willing to volunteer for such things is difficult…even more difficult to find them without an agenda. None of the three running will fill your shoes.
Good job Mark. You will be missed. Thank you for your service.