By Rick Anderson, May 9, 2017<\/p>\n
Saying that rape allegations against him fed into the \u201cworst possible\u201d stereotypes of gay men, a somber Seattle Mayor Ed Murray announced Tuesday that he would not seek another term in office.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt tears me to pieces to have to step away,\u201d said Murray, who had been considered a near-cinch for a second term running one of America\u2019s most liberal cities, \u201cbut I believe it is in the best interest of this city that I love.\u201d<\/p>\n
Faced with a lawsuit and the allegations of four accusers who claimed Murray, 62, either paid for sex or raped them in the 1980s, the mayor, with husband Michael Shiosaki at his side, said that standing for reelection \u2014 despite his commanding lead and $200,000 war chest \u2014 would turn the campaign into more of a spectacle than it already is.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny campaign for mayor must be about the future of the city\u2026. It must be focused on these issues, not on a scandal, which it would be focused on if I were to remain in the race,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n