Mayor Will Not Seek Re-Election

Mayor Stephen Waluk will not seek re-election for the Newport City Council in this November's election, he announced last night.

Waluk has served on the council for 11 years and was elected the youngest mayor in the history of the city in 2007, at the age of 29. He was first elected to the Newport City Council in 2001 at 24, and again in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010.

He has recently accepted the position as chief clerk of the Rhode Island District Court. “I've been going back and forth for months and then this job opportunity came up. The city's in a good place right now and I've been doing this a long time. I've been doing it my entire adult life. I can't do it forever.”

Waluk said even though his new position allows him to remain on the council, he has decided to step down. He will still sit on the Rhode Island Transportation and Bridge Authority Board of Directors.

Running for City Council may only be a possibility in the very distant future, he said.

“I look back with satisfaction on what I have accomplished during my years in public life and I realize these successes were made possible through working cooperatively with others,” he said in a press release.

Waluk cited hiring  approving the , re-opening King Park to swimming, approving the , opening the and cleaning up as his major accomplishments during his current term as mayor.

“We live in a fantastic city that is world renown and I consider myself blessed to have been able to influence its success if even in just a slight way," he said.

"Newport will do just fine without me, but I will miss waking up each and every day knowing that I have the ability to enact policies that make a difference in the lives of others.”