John Barros, Boston's Former Chief Of Economic Development, Joins Mayoral Race

BOSTON (CBS) - John Barros, Boston's former Chief of Economic Development and longtime community organizer, announced he's running for mayor Thursday.

He is the fifth candidate to join the race. Mayor Marty Walsh is expected to leave office soon to become President Biden's Secretary of Labor.

Barros, 47, formally made the announcement in Dorchester at Restaurante Cesaria, which he has owned for two decades.

He served on the Boston School Committee for three years before becoming the city's first Chief of Economic Development in 2014. Barros held that role until he resigned last week.

Barros began his career as a community organizer, serving as the executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative for 13 years.

"The future of Boston means everything to me. I've lived my entire life deeply rooted in our community as an activist, as a small business owner, and as a government official," Barros said on Thursday. "As Boston's Chief of Economic Development, I changed the way that City Hall plans for growth and development. We've made a lot of progress, and now is the time to take our work further."

Barros ran for mayor in 2013, but did not advance to the general election.

City Council president Kim Janey is expected to serve the remainder of Walsh's term this year. It's not clear yet if she will run.

Boston city councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu have all declared their candidacies, along with state representative Jon Santiago.