Mayor George Flaggs is not running for anything except a possible third term as Vicksburg’s mayor.

Flaggs announced his decision at the start of Monday’s meeting of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and later in a written statement that was emailed to news outlets.

“I have no intention of running for any other (state) office,” he said at the board meeting.

Flaggs was elected to a second term as mayor in 2017. He had been mentioned as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor in 2019, and was seen as a potential front-runner for the Democratic nomination for the office.

In March, he announced he was leaving the state Democratic Party and becoming an independent, fueling further speculation that he may be seeking a statewide office. He said at the time he would announce his decision “at high noon on May 7.”

“I’m not running for any office other than mayor Vicksburg,” he said after Monday’s board meeting.

Considering a potential run at state office Flaggs said, “Has taken away my focus on Vicksburg, and I don’t like it. I think I should spend my time making Vicksburg safer and better, more attractive, and create more jobs, and that’s what I’m going to focus my attention on. (I’m) not trying to do anything else.”

Flaggs retired in 2012 from the Mississippi Legislature to run for Vicksburg mayor after serving 25 years as the state representative for District 55. He was elected to his first term in July 2013.