As if Yvette Alexander‘s steering of District budget funds toward projects in her own ward wasn’t evidence enough that she’s not considering city-wide office, the Ward 7 councilmember made it official today: She won’t run for an at-large D.C. Council seat after all.

Alexander started mulling a bid for the at-large seat being vacated by David Catania last month, announcing her consideration with a tweet at Ward 6 councilmember and fellow almost-ran Tommy Wells. Alexander says she made the decision not to run over the weekend after talking with supporters and campaign advisors.

“So many people were concerned that the shift would be turned away from the ward,” Alexander says. When she was still considering a bid last month, Alexander told the Washington Post that the reduced constituent service demands of the at-large seat would let her focus on the Council’s health committee.

Running for Catania’s at-large seat, one of two reserved in the District’s charter for non-majority party candidates, would have meant doing so as an independent, not a Democrat. The District’s Republican Party threatened to sue Alexander if she made the jump, but the GOP’s lawyers can rest easy—-Alexander says she doesn’t have any plans to switch parties now.

“Hold on to your hats, Democrats,” says Alexander. “I’m going to stick with you.”

Photo by Darrow Montgomery