In the latest Election 2025 bombshell, Ward 5 City Councilor-At-Large Andreae Downs has announced she will not seek reelection this year.

“Being a city councilor is a great job—one I’m honored to be allowed to do,” Downs wrote in an email to her newsletter subscribers Monday afternoon.

Downs has lived in Newton since 1989, and in 2017 decided to run for a seat on the City Council. She’s focused largely on climate change and the environment during her tenure, promoting everything from bike lanes and walking paths to the city’s electrification ordinance.

“Much of the good government can do is done here, at the local level—helping people, protecting public schools and civil rights, designing for a better future,” her message continued. “It’s cities and towns that pay for fire and police, road paving and clearing, sewers and clean water. Policies we pass at City Hall make it possible to build more housing, make that housing more energy efficient, manage parking, parks and trails, add bike lanes and school crossings.”

“I am proud of the work (the) Council has completed in the last seven years,” Downs’s message continues. “I enjoyed my colleagues, close relationships with our dedicated and excellent city staff, and with many of you. For me, this job has always been about the community in Newton.”

Downs added that she’s announcing now to give Ward 5 residents time to find a candidate to fill the seat, or maybe even multiple candidates to compete for it.

“I encourage everyone with a desire to do something to bolster the community and democracy to run. Anyone who wishes to make Newton greener, more resilient, safer, and more connected,” she wrote.