Councilor Mike Owens To Not Seek Reelection

BRAINTREE, MA — Mike Owens was a junior in college when he was elected to the Braintree Town Council. Now, school will once again be the priority for the young councilor.

Owens announced Tuesday night that he will not seek reelection this fall and will instead start law school at Suffolk University.

"When I began my first campaign, I did so with a simple goal, to contribute to a conversation focused on improvement for our town and to advocate for the people of District 5 to maintain and improve upon the high quality of life we enjoy," Owens said.

The councilor cited the enhancement of South Braintree Square, advocating for a study on the revitalization of the Ivory Street Corridor, and his work on opioid use and addiction as some of his proudest accomplishment.

Councilors were unanimously proud of the work Owens has done.

"These last four years with you, we’ve had donnybrooks and the thing about councilor Owens is you can have a donnybrook and 20 minutes it’s done. He doesn’t carry it over. I will tell you it has been a pleasure working with you because of your passion and your spine not to back down and to speak your mind no matter what," Councilor Dan Clifford said.

While Owens is leaving public office, a return to elected office in the future is not out of the question.

"He is not giving up on politics and he’s not giving up on Braintree. He’s taking a leave of absence so he’s more prepared for his next step. It’s not the end, it’s just the beginning," Councilor John Mullaney said.

At the end of his term, Owens will have spent four years on the council.

Image: Submitted Photo