Worcester Councilor Rivera Won't Seek Reelection In 2023

WORCESTER, MA — District 4 Worcester City Councilor Sarai Rivera — the first Latina elected to a council seat — will not seek reelection in 2023, leaving her Main South-area seat open for a newcomer to take.

Rivera is now the second sitting city councilor to decide not to run in 2023. District 1 Councilor Sean Rose announced his decision in early December.

"It is an honor and a privilege to service the resident of District 4, but it is also time-consuming and sacrificial. I do not regret any of it, because although the work was immense, the fruit of the labor achieved with so many of you that worked alongside me has been amazing," Rivera said in a statement posted on her Facebook campaign page Wednesday.

Rivera said she's not running because she wants to spend time in private with her family following the death of her son, Zac, in 2020.

"We know that this is something we will never really 'get over,' but we want to take time as our hearts continue to process and find purpose in our pain by creating a legacy in honor of our Zac. This is something we have begun to do with a project here in Worcester, the place he called home, and in Guatemala, his birthplace. As this project grows, our family will need to dedicate more time to honoring Zac's legacy," the statement said.

Rivera first won the District 4 seat in 2011 in a race against incumbent Barbara Haller, who had held the seat since 2001. Born and raised in Worcester, Rivera founded the Shalom Neighborhood Center, and works as a minister at local churches.

Rivera often voted with the more progressive members of the council, and in recent years made attempts to raise awareness about the image of Christopher Columbus. In October, she attempted to start a discussion about how the Columbus statue in front of Union Station is harmful to nonwhite groups in the city — but was denied in a split vote.

In her statement Wednesday, Rivera said she has attempted to make Worcester City Hall more inclusive and reflective of the city's population — a goal she said she has achieved. Rivera was the only person of color on the council when she took office in 2012.

Apart from Rivera and Rose, Worcester Mayor Joe Petty has said he'll run again in 2023. Johanna Hampton-Dance, who ran for the District 2 seat against Candy Mero-Carlson in 2021, will likely seek an at-large seat. Maydee Morales, a homeless outreach worker and shelter director, and Domenica Perrone, a former Worcester Health and Human Services worker, have both filed paperwork with the state to run in 2023.