Pugh Not Running Next Year

**Eastside** · January-23-12, 09:54 PM

Click on Detroit is reporting that Charles Pugh will not be running for a second term next year.

http://bit.ly/x1yFY2

Buy American · January-23-12, 10:00 PM

No, he won't run for a second term on the clownsil but he'll run for mayor and get elected because of name recognition only.

**stinkytofu** · January-23-12, 10:22 PM

If Charles Pugh becomes mayor I might just give up. He's an awful leader who makes awful decisions who is in politics because of the prestige.

**firstandten** · January-23-12, 10:46 PM

I'm betting he will run for mayor. He probably senses a weakness in Bing and feels he can beat him. This does not sound very encouraging on any level.

Bring on the EFM

SteveJ · January-23-12, 10:51 PM

Might as well get the EFM.

**Hypestyles** · January-24-12, 02:11 AM

curious.. seems like any public office beyond city council would bring just as much, if not more, personal headache to him, he has had a heck of a time adjusting so far.. plus the financial issues, I figured he'd just go back to the broadcasting world..
so what else is out there for him that he'd be even interested in-- a seat on the Wayne County Commission? [[somewhat less high profile compared to detroit city council..); state legislature? [[running while the GOP still has a super-majority?) US congress? [[13th or 14th?) Detroit school board [[still under EFM control).. how are the detroit police and fire commission chosen?

**Crumbled_pavement** · January-24-12, 03:40 AM

Puggggh not running for Council next year? YES!!!

Puggggh running for mayor next year? NO!!!!!

**Dexlin** · January-24-12, 05:41 AM

I'd always said that he was a rather second-rate kind of councilman candidate, someone I didn't mind on council as one-of-nine, but someone who definitely didn't have the intellect and leadership abilities to be council president. Some people hate the guy; I don't get the personal animosity.

I think the writing was on the wall for him. With perhaps an EM coming in, and even if that isn't the case, his own personal finances still in disarray, I'm not at all surprised he doesn't want to run for council again. And, guys, the whole running for mayor thing is a ploy. He wants to bow out without looking as if he was defeated. He couldn't win a mayoral election, so no one should care if he runs, but I seriously doubt that's his plan.

**Danny** · January-24-12, 11:52 AM

Pugh running for Mayor of Detroit! NO WAY! too fast.

**EastsideAl** · January-24-12, 12:14 PM

I think he just wore out his welcome pretty fast, and his personal finances even faster. I don't know anyone around here, of any race, who still thinks much of him. He's been a major disappointment [[even if, like me, you didn't expect all that much of him to start with), probably even more so than Bing. And, like Bing, he proves once again that simply being famous does give someone any special insight or capability and is not a qualification for governing.

**Islandman** · January-24-12, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

curious.. seems like any public office beyond city council would bring just as much, if not more, personal headache to him, he has had a heck of a time adjusting so far.. plus the financial issues, I figured he'd just go back to the broadcasting world..
so what else is out there for him that he'd be even interested in-- a seat on the Wayne County Commission? [[somewhat less high profile compared to detroit city council..); state legislature? [[running while the GOP still has a super-majority?) US congress? [[13th or 14th?) Detroit school board [[still under EFM control).. how are the detroit police and fire commission chosen?

Agreed. If I were him, I'd go back to being a talking head again and making real money.

**Detroitnerd** · January-24-12, 01:51 PM

A good example of a guy who's probably not so bad ending up in a position of power and proving himself undeserving. But it's also a good example of why Detroit needs to dump at-large voting and the name game in elections.

**Danny** · January-24-12, 02:04 PM

Pugh! folks in Fox 2 News would gladly have you back after you leave Detroit City Council.

**kenp** · January-24-12, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Dexlin

He wants to bow out without looking as if he was defeated. He couldn't win a mayoral election, so no one should care if he runs, but I seriously doubt that's his plan.

I agree with everything you said except the above quote. He was the top vote getter in the last election and we all know how the voters of Detroit vote. Im not saying he would win but it clearly is a possibility. We all need to help get him get his old job back.

**evergreen** · January-24-12, 10:39 PM

Count me among those who do not believe he will run for mayor. Mr. Pugh has been extremely unimpressive in elective office. That in and of itself is hardly a problem in Detroit, but it's also clear he lacks the temperament for Detroit politics. I have often found him to be rather flippant in addressing citizens and this aspect of his behavior was on full display at Monday's hearing on the new districts.

Public comments were invited at the conclusion of council's discussion. Only one individual, an older man, spoke. Apparently he exceeded the two minute limit [[which is regularly exceeded during public comment) at which point Mr. Pugh began yelling at and over him. At one point Pugh said, "you act like a fool every time you come here." The older guy then called him a fool. Pugh then ordered the police to remove the guy from the meeting, which was done in a very rough manner.

He would be well advised to go back to television. This is not his calling and he knows it.

**firstandten** · January-24-12, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Pugh! folks in Fox 2 News would gladly have you back after you leave Detroit City Council.

I have no way of proving it, but that might not be an option at least in this market

**Dexlin** · January-25-12, 07:15 AM

Originally Posted by kenp

I agree with everything you said except the above quote. He was the top vote getter in the last election and we all know how the voters of Detroit vote. Im not saying he would win but it clearly is a possibility. We all need to help get him get his old job back.

Really, maybe I'm wrong, but I've always gotten the since that Pugh got as many votes as he did not because of who he was, but much more because of the extrodinary circumstances of the election [[replacing Kilpatrick after a huge scandal) that won't be repeated. His support strikes me as some of the most fair-weather/soft support you'll probably see in a long time. I'd be shocked if he got anywhere close to 80,000+ this go-around, particularly if the city falls into financial receivership.

That said, you're probably right to never underestimate the upredictability of politics, but I just don't see how he carries over that many votes to a mayoral run, especially if the opposition candidate isn't Bing, and then if it is Bing, there is no way the suburban and city business community would jump ship for Bing, and truth be told, though people seem to think that it's "crazy" Detroiters that elect their mayor, it's the suburban and city big money that really does the choosing, and rarely do they abandon an incumbent that they've chosen. Hell, the business community was in Kwame's corner literally until the very end and even a few stupids [[Karmanos) after he'd been ousted.

**Zacha341** · January-25-12, 07:37 AM

Not by this voter will he get in!

Originally Posted by Buy American

No, he won't run for a second term on the clownsil but he'll run for mayor and get elected because of name recognition only.

**SWMAP** · January-25-12, 10:11 AM

He is going to run! Now that he has stated that he won't be running for Council, he has an entire year to collect campaign funds for a mayoral race, cultivate the clientele that will want to see him as mayor and will put down cash. He will have a big war chest and some of the biggest contributers will be the Downtown club owners that he has championed right from the start. They have the bucks and they will get right on his campaign train.

**Artistic** · January-25-12, 11:28 AM

He needs to just go home...oh yeah...he won't have one soon.

**SWMAP** · January-25-12, 12:11 PM

An essay on Mlive by Aaron Foley on this subject: "Five Reasons Why Detroiters Should Not Consider Charles Pugh for Mayor."

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...oiters_sh.html

**Detroitej72** · January-26-12, 05:48 PM

Originally Posted by firstandten

I'm betting he will run for mayor. He probably senses a weakness in Bing and feels he can beat him.

I thought Figer said he was planning on being the next mayor, wouldn't a primary with those two clowns be entertaining!

**stasu1213** · January-28-12, 11:30 AM

I had heard Pugh being interviewd on a radio station this past Wednesday. He had said that it wasn't his intentions to seek a second term as Council President. Pugh had said that one of the reason of him running for council is to bring dignity and respect[[or something as such) back to the council after the way former council members had behaved as council members. He had not confirmed what are his plans once he leave offce. He did add that the reason why he is losing weight is for he is training to run for a marathon.