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Franks will not run for St. Louis mayor as write-in candidate

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Citing dissatisfaction with the results of Tuesday’s primary, State Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. announced Thursday that he would launch a write-in campaign to become St. Louis’ next mayor

Hours later, he said he isn’t running.

Franks spoke with the Missouri Times Friday morning, saying that he would not be seeking to run as a write-in for the April 4 general election.

He said he doesn’t want to leave his seat in the Missouri House of Representatives open.

The freshman lawmaker has only been at the Capitol since January, after winning a landslide victory over 78th District House Rep. Penny Hubbard in September in a re-do election.

Franks has become an activist leader since the 2014 protests in Ferguson, a strong voice among progressives seeking to bring racial and economic equality to St. Louis.

Franks had supported city Treasurer Tishaura Jones, a fellow progressive, in the Democratic primary, but Jones was defeated by Alderwoman Lyda Krewson by less than 1,000 votes on Tuesday. Krewson is expected to easily win the mayoral race on April 4 in the Democratic stronghold in St. Louis.

In an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Franks said he would have gotten behind Jones as a write-in candidate, but state law prohibits her from launching a write-in campaign since she was on the primary ballot.

If Franks does truly want to run for mayor, all he has to sign a declaration of intent and deliver it the Board of Election Commissioners by March 24 to become certified as a write-in candidate.