Knox, Rendell endorse Nutter’s re-election

Has the final shoe dropped in the race for Philadelphia Mayor?  The only challenger to Mayor Michael Nutter appears to be Milton Street.

Tom Knox says he’s not running for mayor, either as a Democrat or an independent.  He says a poll he got recently shows he would have had to run a mudslinging campaign to win.

“The poll said I couldn’t win in the primary, but I could win in the general,” said Knox.  “I’m not up for that type of fight I think it’s divisive. I think Michael is doing a great job, when you take a look at his accomplishments and what he’s done wrong the accomplishments are much greater.  It’s not in my nature to do a negative campaign and that’s what you would have to do to win.”

Knox said his family also helped steer him away from running.  “My wife gave me a piece of her mind, it was a combination of all of it, my wife didn’t want me to get into the race, my two kids said they’d be supportive but they preferred that I didn’t,” he said.   “I don’t always listen to my wife, and she doesn’t listen to me much either.  She would have been supportive, but she would have been reluctant. I think that played a part in it.”

Nutter was also endorsed by former Governor and former Mayor Ed Rendell, who says Nutter is even better at forging alliances in Harrisburg than he was when he ran the city.