The Buffalo Common Council is the legislative branch of the second largest city in New York State and it's made up of residents from the City of Buffalo's nine council districts.

The Common Council is led by a Council President, who is picked from the 9 members of the council. The Council President is tasked with helping to set the legislative agenda for the City, and since 2015, the Council President has been Darius Pridgen from Buffalo's Ellicott District. However, that is soon to change as Priden made a recent announcement that he is planning to step down from his position on the Common Council at the end of his current term and not seek reelection.

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This has stunned many people in Buffalo who were not expecting this announcement to be made considering the impact that Pridgen has had on the community since he was first elected to the Buffalo Common Council in 2011. Prior to his election to the Common Council, Pridgen also held a seat on the Buffalo Public School Board.

His current elected term expires at the end of 2023 and this announcement is sure to spur many people who have ambitions of being a part of leadership in the city of Buffalo to throw their hats in the ring and run for the seat in the Ellicott District. This is in fact a boost for some as Pridgen ran unopposed in the last general election for Common Council in 2019.

I want to leave to do my next, of whatever my next is, while I still have a smile, and I'm still engaged, and I'm still relevant.
"Darius Pridgen, While Speaking To Claudine Ewing from WGRZ-TV

Pridgen was asked by many people if he has ambitions for another office, including the Mayor of Buffalo, and he's repeatedly said he's open to future opportunities but has no specific plans to run for office again.

Pridgen, who is also the Senior Pastor at the True Bethel Baptist Church on E. Ferry St. in Buffalo, said that he plans on retaining his position with the church and he is only choosing to not run for elected office in the Ellicott District.

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