BATON ROUGE- Louisiana State Rep. Edward “Ted” James announced on Thursday that he will not be running for Mayor-President of Baton Rouge after speculation on whether or not he would run.

He issued a statement stating:

"It is indeed a privilege and an honor to have had so many people encourage me to run for Mayor-President of Baton Rouge and East Baton Rouge Parish. My family and I gave a great deal of consideration and prayer to this matter and decided that I will not pursue the office. The love I have for my hometown, the great state of Louisiana, and my dedication to public service remains without question. I will continue to serve my community in the Louisiana House of Representatives District 101 and work with state and local officials, and community leaders to make our city and our state what it should be - a great place to live, work, raise a family, and enjoy.  There is much to do at both the local and state levels and I'm committed to completing the task that God has placed in my hands for this season. I want to personally thank those who encouraged me to consider serving as your Mayor. I am humbled by the outpouring of love, encouragement, and support that came from a diverse body of people from across East Baton Rouge Parish. It is symbolic of who we really are and what we could achieve together."