The Bronx political landscape was thrown into a tailspin when Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced out of nowhere that he would not be running for mayor of New York City.

For anyone following Diaz Jr.’s career such as this publication, one would know that rumors of a mayoral run began more than a decade ago. Then Diaz Jr., then in his 30s and with a receding hairline, represented the energy the Bronx needed at the moment. He brought a charisma that sought mega projects arrive to the Bronx, though some remain pending. Even so, he had the makings of being the first Latino mayor. His cheerfulness and diehard support of the Bronx attracted greater allies from all levels of government thanks to his vision for the borough. The now famous Rainbow Rebellion helped seal the deal.

Diaz Jr. seem to relish in the prospect of becoming mayor, tailoring his State of the Borough speeches as a kind of roast to Mayor Bill de Blasio, telling supporters how he would be able to fix the city’s problems under the guise of a borough president who simply kept an eye on the borough. Of course, political observers saw Diaz Jr. was whetting the appetites of supporters yearning for Diaz Jr. to pull the trigger.

Now, all that he’s built toward a serious run for mayor–the first since former Bronx Borough President Fernando Ferrer mounted a run in 2005–have been dashed in a moment of self-infliction. He told the New York Times his decision is born out of spending more time with his family. His heart certainly belongs to his family. Even so, why not arrive at those moments long before reaching the doorstep to a position that could change your life? That would’ve been ideal.

The voice on Latino-centric issues–immigration, income inequality, and interactions with the NYPD–has lowered some. True, Diaz Jr. was not the only Latino candidate, but he was perhaps the most viable. It makes us wonder: with the full weight of the Bronx Democratic Party and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie ready to throw their full powers to help his run, why did the borough president get cold feet?

His announcement sounded a lot like a departure. He’ll finish out his term, and it’s this paper’s hope he will use his time wisely beyond reflection, but more of sealing a legacy that sees shovels on the beleaguered Kingsbridge National Ice Center project \and the Penn Station Access plan that would see four Metro-North Stations beyond just a preliminary phase. He won’t have a legacy to build as mayor, but he could at least demonstrate the borough presidencies simply aren’t ceremonial fluff positions.