Mayor McCarthy Not Running for Fifth Term

At a Friday afternoon press conference at the Bloomfield municipal building, Mayor Raymond McCarthy announced he will not seek reelection.

McCarthy said “the time was right” to step down and he welcomed the chance to dedicate more time to his work as a real estate appraiser.

McCarthy, a Democrat, has been Bloomfield’s mayor for 12 years, having been elected to four three-year terms. 

He said he was not considering running for any other offices, saying that he considered being Mayor of Bloomfield the best job out of all other options. His last day in office will be Jan. 1, 2014, when he runs the first meeting of the new Council.

McCarthy became emotional acknowledging his secretary Pam Walsh, who passed away in 2011 from lung cancer at 47.

In addition to thanking his family and Walsh, he also thanked department heads and members of the fire and police departments.

He cited the developments begun under his tenure as significant accomplishments as well as the construction of Challenger Field.

Councilman Nick Joanow attended the announcement but declined to comment. He said that the retirement announcement came as a surprise and he doubted many in town hall knew it was coming.

McCarthy specifically ruled out running as an independent candidate and said he would not endorse any candidates for Mayor until the primaries were over. Nonetheless, he said that if he were to run again, he had no doubt he would still be mayor.

He said that working as Mayor was a fulfilling experience that afforded him the opportunity to meet and work with great people.

“Everyday of my tenure as Mayor my first thought was to make Bloomfield a better place,” McCarthy said. “I know that mission was accomplished.”