Sean Powers Withdraws From Braintree Mayor Race

BRAINTREE, MA — Town Councilor Sean Powers has withdrawn from Braintree's mayor race. After Mayor Joseph Sullivan announced he wasn't seeking re-election, it left the seat wide open for the November election, and Powers, along with Town Councilor Thomas Bowes, Braintree Electric Light Board Chair Thomas Reynolds, and School Committee Chair Lisa Fiske Heger, jumped into the race. But after some second thoughts about balancing his political and professional career, Powers has decided to exit the race.

Powers said the opportunity to run for mayor came simultaneously with him accepting the position as chief operating officer at the state's Division of Professional Licensure. Due to those demands, he will also not be seeking reelection to Town Council.

"In the short time that I have been a candidate for mayor, I have come to realize it is extremely challenging to balance both my professional obligations and the demands of a mayoral campaign," Powers said in a statement. "After much careful consideration, I have decided that I need to fully focus on my career, and that I am unable to give the time and attention required of a competitive mayoral campaign. For those reasons, I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for mayor, and I will not seek re-election to the town council."

Powers had picked up a decent following of support from Braintree residents, promising in his campaign, to make sure any rezoning proposal did not have too much overcrowded housing, traffic, or fundamentally change the character of the town. Over 100 people came out to his campaign kickoff event two weeks ago, where Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito endorsed him.

"I was humbled and deeply touched by the encouragement and support I received to run for mayor, and I respectfully thank all of those who have provided me with their backing and guidance over the years," Powers said ... "I sincerely appreciate the time and energy that people gave to my campaign. It is not lost on me that this was time and focus taken from personal lives and families that was redirected at supporting my mayoral run. All of your efforts and time—all of your faith bestowed upon me—mean more to me than you will ever know."

Powers said the process of refunding campaign contributions will start soon.