Lt. Governor and former Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy will not be seeking re-election.
Duffy tells 13 WHAM that the physical demands of the job became too much. Duffy has a bad back, and all the miles he’s had to spend in a vehicle reportedly just added to his back pain. He also wants to spend more time closer to home with his family.
Duffy has been Lt. Governor since January of 2011. He was Mayor of Rochester from 2006 to 2010 and was the city’s police chief before that.
WXXI’s Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt reports that lately Governor Cuomo has said nothing about Duffy or his political future, saying he prefers to focus on governing until the political season officially begins. The state Democratic Party nominating convention begins May 21st.
Last year Duffy had considered a job to head up the Rochester Business Alliance. That position is expected to be open again at the end of this year, since the current president Sandy Parker, agreed to temporarily stay in the post, but then retire by next January.
Duffy said on Wednesday night that he plans on coming back to Rochester, and he also plans to continue working. He does plan on finishing out his term through the end of this year.
