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Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero Says He Won't Seek 4th Term

LANSING (WWJ) -- Longtime Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero surprisingly announced on Monday that he will not seek re-election for what would be his fourth term in office.

After serving out his term through the end of the year, Bernero says he plans to stay at home to help care for his 91-year-old father. Beyond that, the 52-year-old career politician says he doesn't know what his professional future will bring.

"A big part of me would love to keep going -- and I also believe I would win, by the way," Bernero told WWJ Newsradio 950 on Monday. "Campaigns have changed, there's no question about that. They're more toxic, you've got the social media and so to put my family through that was part of it as well."

Bernero appeared frequently on cable news outlets a decade ago, earning the nickname of the "Angriest Mayor in America" as he advocated for a bailout of the auto industry, which eventually won federal support.

A Democrat, Bernero lost handily to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the 2010 Gubernatorial Election. However, he would go on to re-election as Lansing's mayor in 2013.

Bernero said that when he leaves office at the end of the year, his successor will inherit a city on the rise.

"GDP is up, population is up, unemployment is down, crime is down," Bernero said. "So overall, I'm going to hand off the baton to whoever comes in here with the city in very good shape."

Bernero said his wife would like nothing more for their 30th wedding anniversary this year than to have him back at home.

"I've been doing this for 12 years -- I love the job of mayor, I love the city of Lansing and the citizens of Lansing," Bernero said. "I don't love the campaign, you know. And I have a family, and granted my kids aren't young, they're out of the house, but my dad is in the house -- my 91-year-old father. We're the primary caretakers and I'm not going to put it all on my wife."

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