State Rep. Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) is not running for another term, sources tell the Lit Drop.

Wallace, whose district includes a piece of Uphams Corner and Harbor Point, has served in the House since 2003.

The seat is the third in the Dorchester and Mattapan area to open up in the last month. Wallace's retirement ended months of speculation of whether he was running again. It appeared to be recent, too: On his Facebook page, a second signature drive was scheduled for this weekend.  Read more

This week's Dot Reporter has a write-through of the news of Rep. Marie St. Fleur's departure, as well as a look at some of the names that a small group of activists have been pushing. That small group will likely be very involved in choosing the eventual winner. So who have they been talking about? Click here to find out that and whether some of them are interested. Also: There will be a "Greatest Minds" forum on March 1 to discuss the 2010 census and the two open House seats - St. Fleur's Fifth Suffolk and retiring Rep. Willie Mae Allen's Sixth Suffolk. The forum is scheduled for March 1 at the National Black College Alliance in Roxbury’s Dudley Square at 6:30 p.m.  Read more

State Rep. Marie St. Fleur, a self-described "Uphams Corner kid," isn't running for re-election, she confirmed on Saturday.

At a caucus of Ward 15 Democrats, St. Fleur said she no longer wanted the job. "I don't want to be in the way of anyone," she said. "The job can't be done halfhearted."

She noted that she has one daughter in college, another "on her way," and a son about to start high school. "So it's time for transitions," she said.  Read more

In this week's Reporter we take a look at who's pulled nomination papers for what legislative seat in the Dorchester/Mattapan area.

Pulling of papers is an indication of interest in running. Because papers can be pulled until late April, when nomination signatures are due, we could see other candidates crop up in the weeks ahead.  Read more

Giovanna Negretti spoke with the Dorchester Reporter this week about stepping down from Oiste. She also dispelled rumors that she would mount a run against state Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz -- for now. As first reported by AP on Sunday, Negretti's leaving after 10 years at the helm of the organization.

The two new City Councillors At-Large, Felix Arroyo and Ayanna Pressley, are bringing some new (and some not so new) faces with them to City Hall.

Not unlike Arroyo, Pressley is bringing on people from the campaign trail:

-- James Chisholm, who headed her campaign, is her chief of staff, overseeing the staff, policy and communications. He has worked with Pressley in U.S. Sen. John Kerry's office, where he wrote speeches and was a deputy press secretary. He has also written for ESPN.com. He lives in Allston-Brighton.  Read more

Mayor Thomas Menino will be meeting up with U.S. Sen.-elect Scott Brown on Tuesday, their schedules show.

Both will meet at the Parkman House on Beacon St., next to the State House, at 9 a.m. A press availability will follow.

At noon, Brown meets with African-American pastors in a closed-press affair at the Roxbury Presbyterian Church on Warren St. A press availability will follow at 1 p.m.

Add City Councillor John Tobin to the list of Democrats upset with the way Attorney General Martha Coakley has run her U.S. Senate campaign.  Read more

The state Supreme Judicial Court on Monday took away former House Speaker Thomas Finneran's law license, citing his pleading guilty to obstruction of justice charges in 2007.  Read more

Political Wire posts the Congressional primary calendar for 2010. Sept. 14 is the day for Massachusetts voters.

The Bay State shares the day with Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont. and Wisconsin.

The two top candidates in the race to replace the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy will be hitting Dorchester in the coming days.

Congressman Michael Capuano (D-Somerville) will be holding one of his "Open Mike" events at the McKeon Post at 4 Hill Top St.

The 3:30 p.m. event on Thursday (Dec. 3) will focus on veterans' issues. Capuano's father was a Purple Heart veteran of World War II. His mother grew up in the St. Gregory's area.

Attorney General Martha Coakley, the frontrunner and a former Dorchester resident, appears the day before the Dec. 8 Democratic primary.

The election eve rally is scheduled for 6 p.m. at IBEW Local 103, at 256 Freeport St.

Also running in Democratic primary are businessmen Stephen Pagliuca, the co-owner of the Boston Celtics, and Alan Khazei, co-founder of CityYear.

Outgoing City Councillor At-Large Sam Yoon says he has the votes to pull his proposal to set mayoral term limits out of a City Council committee, setting up a clash with a fellow Dorchester councillor.  Read more