Murrieta Mayor Doug McAllister Decides Not to Seek Re-Election

Doug McAllister, who currently serves as mayor of Murrieta, will not seek re-election, it was reported today.

McAllister's second term expires in December, but he has decided not to run again so that he may spend more time with his family, The Press-Enterprise initially reported.

McAllister was first elected to Murrieta City Council in 2004.

"After much prayer and no small amount of uncharacteristic waffling, I have made the difficult decision that after 12 years of public service, it is time for me to take a break," McAllister said in an emailed statement. "As such, I will not be running for re-election this November.It is time to reward my wife, children and grandchild for their otherworldly patience as I served you. So much of our lives has been on hold during that time. It is long past it being their turn."

The term of one other council member, Randon Lane, also expires in December. Lane, on the other hand, , and has completed the required steps to become an official candidate in the upcoming November election.

Potential Murrieta City Council candidates

However, if an incumbent does not file to run for city council, the nomination period extends to 5:30 p.m. Aug. 15, City Clerk Kay Vinson said.

Two other candidates, Harry Ramos and David Meuting, had pulled papers but as of last week had not yet been declared official candidates.

Editor's Note: This article was updated at 2:20 p.m. Aug. 6 to include information about the extension of the candidate filing deadline in the event an incumbent decides not to seek re-election. It was updated again at 1:15 p.m. Aug. 7 to include a statement from McAllister.