INQUIRER: State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo announced today that he was dropping out of the race for re-election, ending a more than 30-year political career. Fumo cited the ‘cloud’ of indictment as the main reason for his decision to leave office once his term ends in January. He suffered a heart attack March 2 that sent him to the hospital for a week. He was released on Sunday.
Flanked by his family and Gov. Rendell, Fumo made his announcement at a 25-minute press conference at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. “I did not make the decision to retire because of health issues but I did take time while recovering in the hospital last week to reassess my life and set a few new
priorities. To be frank, the stress of being under indictment has taken a very real emotional toll,” said Fumo, 64.
“There are a number of reasons why I have chosen to retire but above all I simply don’t think it is right for me to ask the voters who have put their faith in me all these years to consider voting for me one more time while there is a cloud hanging over my head.” MORE
