Someone else will sit in the mayor's office in Cedar Rapids next year.

Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett made it clear Monday morning that he won't run for re-election to a third term in 2018. But, for now, he's not committed to running for a higher statewide office.

In making the announcement at city hall, Corbett admitted he's thought about the idea of running for governor for some time. But he said thinking about it and saying that's definitely what he's going to do next in politics are two different things.

During a news conference to announce he would not seek re-election, Corbett said he entered office in 2009 to get the city back on track in flood recovery efforts and to promote the idea Cedar Rapids was "open for business."

He said it's time for new people and new ideas.

But whoever replaces him should benefit from the post 2008-flood recovery.

"In those early years when we were making some of the painful decisions on flood recovery people were very vocal. But now people are complimentary and I think we've turned the corner as a community.

Ann Poe, a Cedar Rapids council member attending the announcement, said Corbett does deserve a lot of credit for steering a course to recovery.

"He is a great leader and we'll miss him greatly because he has taken the bull by the horns as my mother said and helped us move forward," Poe said.

But will success on a local political level translate into success in a statewide contest?

Corbett points to his state experience that includes seven terms in the Iowa House and five years as House Speaker in the 1990s.

But he also acknowledges if Iowa Governor Terry Branstad does become ambassador to China, that would make Kim Reynolds governor and likely an un-elected incumbent in 2018.

There's a question as to how Republican Party members would react to a primary challenge.

But Justin Wasson, chair of Linn County Republicans, said the way to find the best candidate is often through a contested primary.

"I think we'd give them both a fair shot to be honest I'd want the best candidate because you want the best candidate because you have to get the best candidate coming out of a primary if you want to win the whole thing," Wasson said.

Corbett said he would weigh the various factors about a run for governor and make his decision known sometime in the next few months.

Corbett said he wanted to make his re-election plans known early so other candidates would have plenty of time to organize.

Governor Branstad told reporters Monday he thinks Corbett is making a big mistake, saying the mayor should focus on serving people in Cedar Rapids.

It didn't take Cedar Rapids council member Kris Gulick long. He announced he would be running for mayor barely five minutes after Corbett began his news conference on Monday.