Worcester District 1 City Councilor Sean Rose says he won't run again

WORCESTER — After serving on the City Council for five years, District 1 City Councilor Sean M. Rose said he will not seek reelection next year, creating an open district councilor seat on the 11-member body.

In a statement that Rose said was meant to afford potential candidates time to launch their campaign, Rose said he would vacate his seat at the end of his two-year term in 2023.

"After over five years of serving District 1 and the City of Worcester, I've decided not to run for another turn when this term is up," Rose said in an announcement early Wednesday. "My time in politics has been extraordinary."

Rose said he looks forward to spending more time with his family while continuing to work on philanthropic efforts in the community. He said he will remain active in the city through a "different lens."

He also reflected on his role as an example of someone who emerged from fixed-income housing to break a cycle of poverty.

"I also wanted to be a role model for young people who grew up facing adversity, motivating them to break barriers of conditioning and poverty," Rose said. "I am hopeful that I have achieved that."

Rose was first elected in 2017, beating Edward L. Moynihan. He won reelection in 2019 and 2021.

Rose's 2021 reelection, where he faced Worcester police Sgt. Richard Cipro, was the most contentious district election of the cycle. Cipro emerged slightly ahead in the preliminary election only for Rose to come out victorious in the general election.

During that election, Rose said the Worcester Police Union's Facebook page often posted inappropriate messages in opposition to him and in support of Cipro, who is the union president. The union page had been a source of local controversy, including a post of an edited photo of Mayor Joseph M. Petty in a mustache to resemble German dictator Adolf Hitler.

Cipro said in turn that supporters of Rose had used uncalled-for tactics against him.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Worcester City Councilor Sean Rose says he won't seek re-election