Boston Health Chief Marty Martinez 'Absolutely Considering Running For Mayor'

BOSTON (CBS) -- Could Boston voters elect another Marty to the mayor's office? Boston Health and Human Services Chief Marty Martinez said Thursday that he's interested in the top job.

"I'm absolutely considering running for mayor," Martinez told reporters at a coronavirus briefing.

Mayor Marty Walsh is President-Elect Joe Biden's pick for Labor Secretary and will leave office if confirmed by the Senate.

Martinez oversees 10 city departments, including the Boston Public Health Commission and the Centers for Youth & Families. He has worked in the community for more than 20 years focusing on youth development and public health, according to his biography on the city website.

"I've been focused, this entire year, on the COVID response and leading that response and I'm proud of the work we've done, but there's much more to do. And so I'm still intensely focused on it," he said. "Having said that, the next mayor elected to the city of Boston will have a huge responsibility to make sure we can finish this response and get to an equitable recovery."

City Councilors Michelle Wu and Andrea Campbell have already declared their candidacies for mayor. Police Commissioner William Gross has also said he is considering a run.

A possible special election for mayor could be held depending on when Walsh steps down. Martinez said he'd work to "do everything to keep our community safe" for voting during the pandemic.

"If there is a special election and there's more elections, we will replicate what we did in the city to keep people safe when they voted last year," he said.