It’s a political about-face from Benton Harbor Mayor Marcus Muhammad.
He now says he will not campaign for Michigan’s Fourth District Congressional Seat.
It was earlier this month when Muhammad announced his intention to enter the political race.
In a statement posted on Facebook, he said he needs to finish what’s he’s started in Benton Harbor as his reason.
We’ve posted his complete Facebook post with this story below:
Dear Residents and Community Stakeholders:
The courage to do the right thing for the right reasons at the right time is perhaps the hardest measure of being a strong leader.
To be a good leader, you have to be willing to put yourself out there and stand for what you believe to be in the best interest of the people you serve.
My announcement to run for Congress prompted me to look at the set of interdependent communities that make up our District and to think long and hard about what type of leader we needed to step in and represent all of our residents and not just a few.
In my mind, we needed a leader who could bring a voice of reason to any table, someone with a genuine ability to encourage people from all walks of life to work together for the good of all.
A strong leader must believe in his or her own abilities to get the job done. I know I have the experience of dealing with tough issues at the local level, I have proven that I can bring people together based upon what is right for everyone and not a select group.
After a lot of soul searching, and conversations with respected leaders from each of the communities in the area, I realize that I do have the passion to do the right thing, for all the right reasons to run for the US Congress in the 4th District of Michigan.
And yet, most importantly, I also have the courage to realize that this is not the right time for me to pursue this honorable office.
I have an obligation and a passion to remain engaged in the City of Benton Harbor as we usher in more projects and needed changes over the next two years than in the past 20 combined.
We have new and affordable housing projects in the works, funding for Wi-fi, more roads to be fixed, lead service lines replacement project, water plant and water infrastructure upgrades. In addition stable leadership is most important for the revitalization of the City Benton Harbor. It is for these reasons that I have decided now is not the time to leave the job of my beloved City unfinished.
While I will not run at this time for Congress, I do intend to work even harder to bring a clear voice to the process that we must bring real solutions that solve our problems. I will share my voice in a way that encourages all of us to work together to move our local communities, the State of Michigan, and the Country toward a positive and rewarding future.
Sincerely,
Marcus Muhammad, Mayor
City of Benton Harbor
