Detroit mayor won't seek re-election

DETROIT (CNN) -- In a surprise announcement, Mayor Dennis W. Archer, the city's second black chief executive, said Tuesday he will not seek election to a third term. He made the announcement after a meeting with his executive staff.

"I love this city, I love our citizens, and I really enjoyed the opportunity and the privilege of being mayor, but I also recognize that, quite frankly, I have no private life," Archer said after the meeting.

He said it was time to "pass the baton to the next mayor."

Mario Morrow, a Detroit political analyst and member of the local NAACP chapter, said the announcement came as a shock. Morrow said he didn't attend Tuesday's media briefing because he fully expected Archer to run again.

"I don't believe that anyone can say that they're not shocked. This was a decision held very close to the vest, and it was a decision made in just the last two or three weeks," said Morrow, who believes Archer grew tired of the political and economic roadblocks in his efforts to rebuild Detroit.

Archer cited spending time with family as one of the major reasons he will not seek re-election.

Morrow credited Archer with increasing the city's volunteerism, getting three controversial casinos up and running, and rebuilding confidence. He was also successful in his efforts to end Devil's Night violence, pre-Halloween sprees marked by arson.

"His greatest accomplishment was organizing the city in such a way that he could do business with suburbs and legislators," Morrow said.

Archer's predecessor, Mayor Coleman Young, Detroit's first black mayor, was often criticized for isolating Detroit from predominantly white, neighboring suburbs.

Although Archer effected change in the city, he's had his share of high-profile problems, most notably with city services.

It took Detroit two weeks to dig out of a blizzard in January 1999, drawing national attention to the city's lack of an emergency snow-clearing plan. The U.S. Justice Department is currently investigating the Detroit Police Department for a rash of fatal police shootings. The Detroit Fire Department has had continuing problems with faulty and out-of-date equipment. Transportation has been an issue, and lighting throughout the city is in disarray.

"The major responsibility of a mayor is supplying services to residents. If you can't do that, you will not be a successful mayor," Morrow said.

A choice few other Detroit politicians are expected to take advantage of Archer's unexpected exit.

Detroit City Councilman Nicholas Hood III and Skillman Foundation President Bill Beckham have already announced they are running. Other possible candidates include Detroit City Council President Gil Hill, Council member Brenda Scott, and former Deputy Mayor Freeman Hendrix.

Another person who has suggested he may enter the mayoral race as a Democrat or independent is outspoken Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger. Fieger, whose best-known client was assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian, was Michigan's Democratic gubernatorial candidate in 1998.

Although Fieger doesn't reside in Detroit, he could still run for mayor. If he won, Fieger would need to move into the city within six months of the election, Morrow said.

Archer, 59, was elected to his first four-year term as Detroit's mayor in November 1993. He gathered 83 percent of the vote when re-elected in November 1997.

Archer serves as president of the National League of Cities and is president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors. He was named public official of the year in 2000 by Governing magazine.

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