Saint John Mayor Don Darling has withdrawn from the upcoming municipal election, citing personal reasons, just one month after he announced he would seek a second term.

"With deepest apologies to the people I have been proud to serve, my name will not be on the ballot on May 11, 2020," he posted on social media Wednesday morning.

The Twitter and Facebook posts linked to a blog post where Darling said, "something has not been right for [him]" since he announced his intention to seek re-election.

"This decision [to withdraw] was not made as a result of one event, meeting, or social media exchange," Darling wrote. "It is the result of a collection of experiences in a very challenging job."

The role, which he described as both "magical and ferocious," has "taken a toll on my family and on me personally," he said.

Darling's abrupt reversal caught many people off-guard, including members of city council.

Deputy Mayor Shirley McAlary said she only learned of his decision via an email minutes before he made the public announcement.

"This news, I think to all of us, has been a bit of a shock," she said.

It's been a challenging four-year term for Darling. The city has faced increasing financial strain with $10-million deficits expected for each of the next two years.

The city is preparing for a restructuring that will likely continue through the rest of the year and will see job losses and programming cutbacks.

Darling helped lay the groundwork for those cuts, tried to prepare the public for them and vigorously defended their necessity.

Deputy Mayor Shirley McAlary said news that Darling was dropping out of the election came as a shock. (CBC)

McAlary, who previously served as mayor for nine years, said the position requires "a thick skin."

"You serve the public and you should do everything you can to make it work for them. But you can't take it all personal. It's not a personal business, it's a serving business," she said.

"You can't let what people say about you get to you."

No other mayoral candidates

McAlary said she thought Darling had "an excellent chance" of getting re-elected. In fact, she believed he might be unopposed.

No one else has publicly announced an intention to run for mayor yet. Nominations close April 9.

McAlary said she plans to run for council again, but hasn't thought about running for mayor. She was first elected to council in 1992 and served as deputy mayor, then mayor from 1995 to 2004. She was re–elected in 2012 as a councillor–at–large and then re-elected in 2016 with more votes than any other councillor, becoming deputy mayor.

Ward 3 Coun. Donna Reardon said Darling has been a "fantastic" mayor.

"He's just been so positive, he's brought that positive energy to Saint John and … it was at a time when we needed it," she said.

"I believe he's made Saint Johners take a second look at themselves and say, 'Hey, you know what, we are worth it.'"

Reardon said Darling spread that message across the country and has a "great relationship" with the other levels of government.

With deepest apologies to the people I have been proud to serve, my name will not be on the ballot on May 11, 2020.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/saintjohn?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#saintjohn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/growsj?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#growsj</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/grownb?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#grownb</a> <a href="https://t.co/d4Fv13j1kF">https://t.co/d4Fv13j1kF</a> —@dondarlingSJ

When Darling announced he would seek re-election, he said it was about finishing what he had started.

"A second term will allow us to work the plan we have in place, and then start to see the benefits for the community and region as a whole," he had said in a news release.

"This growth mindset is a journey we're on together. I'm committed to seeing it through, and I hope Saint John is too."

Citizens react

Citizen Karen Hatt said she's "surprised" Darling is not going to run.

"I thought he was really good. I liked that he had a good social presence and tried to explain things when things were, you know, maybe a little negative, and tried to explain why decisions were made, which I liked," she said.

Kevin Hughes said he's "sorry" Darling decided not to re-offer.

"I voted for him the last election, I think he's very proactive, very good for uptown business merchants," he said.

Chris Neal called it "disappointing."

"I think he's done a decent job. He certainly has the experience."

"The city's in a difficult position. Don understands it, he knows what we have to do. And it is very disappointing that we're going to have to elect a new mayor here and start this process over to a great degree."

Next step unclear

Darling, who was elected on May 9, 2016, could not be reached for comment Wednesday. His strategic advisor Patrick Beamish told CBC News he had nothing further to say beyond his social media post.

In the post, Darling said he's proud of council's accomplishments during his term, such as developing the first-ever long-term financial plan and pushing for municipal reform.

"The barriers holding us from our full potential have been communicated, the numbers have been shared, and the path forward has been defined. I'm hopeful that the next group of passionate and focused leaders will pick up the baton and run with it," he said.

"This will not be easy, however, leadership rarely is."

Darling, a former small business owner and consultant in the construction industry, said he isn't sure what his future holds. But he's "excited by the next adventure."