The chances of the Bronx seeing one of its own run City Hall–and being the city’s first Latino mayor–have come to an end.

Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. announced he is withdrawing his run for Mayor of New York City and not seeking any other elected title when his current tenure ends in 2021, an unexpected move as many believed his entire career was built for a mayoral run.

The news, first reported by The New York Times, sent shockwaves throughout the Bronx political landscape. Diaz Jr. cited his need for spending more time with his family as a key reason for bowing out of the mayor’s race.

“I have decided to make this decision public well in advance of the 2021 election because I want to be fair to the people of this city. This decision is final, and no length of additional time will change that,” said Diaz Jr. “Many New Yorkers have committed to support my future in numerous ways, and making this announcement now gives them enough time to make different plans. Additionally, once my campaign has finalized meeting its financial obligations, the remaining funds will be returned to all who generously stepped up to help.”

Diaz Jr. has served as the borough president since 2009 after winning a special election race jumpstarted after Diaz Jr.’s predecessor, Adolfo Carrion, took a job with the Obama Administration. His tenure has seen a transformative change in the Bronx, furthered by a lower crime rate and even lower unemployment rate.

Before then Diaz Jr. served as an Assemblyman representing the 85th Assembly District, a district that is now held by Assemblyman Marcos Crespo. Thoughts of a mayoral run began during Diaz Jr.’s Assembly days, extending to his time as the borough president given the borough’s triumphs under his watch.

Throughout his run Diaz Jr. had struggled to obtain the same financial footing as his rivals, including Speaker Corey Johnson, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, and Comptroller Scott Stringer, all top contenders in the race. Diaz Jr. told the Times he intends to return donations to his donors.

With his withdrawal in place, it leaves the legacy of the Diaz name to fall on his father, Ruben Diaz Sr., a councilman and a candidate for the 15th Congressional District. Many had considered Diaz Sr. problematic for his son, as his history of making inflammatory remarks had made him radioactive and a liability for the younger Diaz. With his father now the only remaining member of the Diaz dynasty, the implications of his comments would no longer extend to his son.

“Of all the politicians in the Bronx, Ruben seemed to come across as the most sincere and candid,” said one Bronx political insider of the younger Diaz.

Norwood’s Councilman, Andrew Cohen—who’s floated the idea of running for the borough presidency—said on Twitter that Diaz Jr. “has always been a great colleague and Bronx Borough President. I wish him the best in his future endeavors [and] I am certain that he will be successful in whatever he chooses.”

Diaz Jr. plans to retire from political life when he wraps up his term in 2021.

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Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.