In surprising reversal, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announces that this term will be his last

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) will not seek a third term in office after all, the Chicago Tribune reported Tuesday.

Emanuel made the announcement in a surprise news conference, saying "this has been the job of a lifetime, but it is not a job for a lifetime." The mayor, who was elected in 2011, had continually insisted that he would run again, raising more than $10 million for a third campaign.

The shocking reversal comes as Emanuel deals with fallout from a number of controversies. The two-term mayor has faced sharp criticism in recent years; some Chicago residents protested for weeks in 2015, demanding Emanuel's resignation over his handling of Laquan McDonald's shooting at the hands of city police. Other critics have said that Emanuel hasn't done enough to curb gun violence in the city.

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There are 13 candidates currently running to replace Emanuel, reports ABC News. The mayoral election will take place in February. Read more at the Chicago Tribune.