Gary Mayor Rudy Clay Getting Ready To Bow Out
GARY, Ind. (CBS/WBBM) -- Next Tuesday is Election Day in Northwest Indiana, and in Gary, voters will choose nominees to become the next mayor.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Bernie Tafoya reports, current Mayor Rudy Clay, a fixture in Northwest Indiana politics for decades, is not running.
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"Being mayor of Gary was my biggest dream come true, really," Clay said.
Clay is 75, but looks much younger. Prostate cancer forced him to end his campaign for reelection.
But Clay did not end his campaign in time for his name to be removed from the ballot, so it's conceivable that voters could choose him as the Democratic nominee anyway.
"Usually, every four years, I'm in a race," Clay said. "I kind of miss being in this mayor's race, but, you've got to take care of what – your health. You've got to take care of your family."
Clay says he will finish his current term in office, which runs through Dec. 31.
He says he will turn over Gary in much better shape than he received the city.
Nine Democrats are running to replace Clay. The Democratic nominee is nearly certain to win the November general election in the largely Democratic city.
