FORT WORTH (1080 KRLD) - Later this year, there will be a chance at Fort Worth City Hall.
After nearly ten years, Betsy Price has announced that she will not seek a sixth term as mayor.
"Serving as mayor has been one of the greatest joys of my life, next to having my children and my grandchildren," Mayor Price said during a Tuesday morning news conference inside Fort Worth City Council chambers. "It's been amazing. But today, I'm going to announce that I will not seek a sixth term."
Mayor Price said she had agonized over her decision for months.
"There's no perfect answer as to the time when you should step aside. But you should step aside when you have the feeling that you're ready."
Price had served as Fort Worth tax collector before being elected mayor for the first time in 2011.
She was unopposed in her re-election bids in 2013 and 2015.
She beat Chris Nettles as she was re-elected in 2017, and she beat Tarrant County Democratic Party chairwoman Deborah Peoples and two others in her 2019 re-election campaign.
Price will leave office having been the longest-serving mayor in Fort Worth's history.
"Being mayor has been more fun, more exciting, more challenging, more time-consuming, and definitely more rewarding than anything I could have ever imagined."
At times during her announcement, Price found it hard to keep her composure.
"I want to thank all the people of Fort Worth for giving me your trust and confidence, and my family for giving me the time," Price said as her voice started trailing off.
Members of Price's family, including husband Tom, her kids and her grandchildren, were in attendance for her announcement.
While she will no longer be mayor come this summer, Price says the city has not seen or heard the last of her.
"I've always been involved in public service," says Price, "and I'm not going away that easily."
After she leaves office, Price plans on getting some R&R.
"I don't know what the next step is, but the next step now is certainly time with my family. And that's what I'm looking forward to."
Will another run for office be in Price's future?
"I'm not going to rule anything out, and I'm not going to speculate, because I honestly don't know."
KRLD's Chris Sommer talked about Mayor Price's legacy with TCU political science professor Dr. Jim Riddlesperger.
Price and her husband -- who also tested positive -- are now said to have fully recovered.
