Pressley to run for reelection

City Councillor At-Large Ayanna Pressley will seek reelection, she said in a statement on Monday. Pressley, a Chicago native who lives in the Ashmont area of Dorchester, holds one of four at-large seats on the City Council.

“After careful consideration, prayer, and thoughtful counsel with family and friends, I have decided that I will run for reelection to the Boston City Council,” Pressley said. “I am grateful for and humbled by the outpouring of support from those urging me to consider running for Mayor. While the time may come for me to pursue a different office, that time isn’t now.”

Pressley, the first woman of color on the council, topped the ticket when she ran for reelection in 2011, winning a second two-year term. She is an ex-aide to former US Sen. John Kerry, who is now the US Secretary of State.

“There is more work to do and I look forward to continuing to advocate for girls and women and for policies that aim to break cycles of poverty and violence,” Pressley said. “I will make sure - as voters will - that these issues are front and center in the upcoming Council and Mayoral races.”

Pressley is widely viewed by political observers inside and outside of City Hall as a potential candidate for Congress in the future.

Her fellow City Councillors At-Large John Connolly and Felix Arroyo are running for mayor, opening up two seats. A spokeswoman for Stephen Murphy, a councillor at-large since 1997, was not immediately available for comment.

Pressley’s announcement came on Monday afternoon, after sources told the Reporter that Charlotte Golar Richie, a former aide to Gov. Deval Patrick and Mayor Thomas Menino, will be jumping into the race for mayor.