Standing across from the Berks County Services Center early Thursday morning, Berks County Commissioner Michael S. Rivera announced he will not seek reelection, bringing an end to his time in elected office after his current term.
Rivera, who has served as commissioner for the past six years, said the decision followed “much prayer, deep reflection, and many conversations” with his family. “After much prayer, deep reflection, and many conversations with my family, I have decided that I will not be seeking reelection next year,” Rivera said during the press conference.
He described his time in office as one of the greatest honors of his life, thanking residents for their trust and the opportunity to work alongside community partners to strengthen Berks County.
Rivera said his decision was ultimately driven by a desire to focus on his family’s real estate business, calling it an important part of their lives that now requires more of his time and attention.
Despite stepping away from reelection, Rivera emphasized that he will remain fully engaged in his role through the remainder of his term, which has about 20 months remaining.
“My commitment to this role has not changed,” he said. “I will continue to serve out the remainder of my term with the same dedication, energy, and sense of responsibility that I have brought to this position since day one.”
Rivera also said he plans to remain active in the community after leaving office.
“I may be stepping aside from elected office, I am not stepping away from this community,” he said.
Berks County Commissioner Christian Y. Leinbach, who also spoke at the event, said he was disappointed by Rivera’s decision but respected it.
“I’ve come to appreciate Michael’s leadership, his commitment to the truth, and his willingness to do the hard work that is involved in leading a county like Berks,” Leinbach said.
Leinbach said Rivera informed him of the decision several weeks ago and noted that the early announcement was intentional, aimed at allowing potential candidates time to consider running.
“We live in a cynical political world where normally this isn’t the way you handle a decision not to run for reelection,” Leinbach said. “We felt transparency is the right way.”
He added that the Republican Party will begin looking for a candidate to run for the seat but said there is no set timeline.
During a question-and-answer session, Rivera highlighted several initiatives he hopes to see progress before leaving office, including work related to the county’s youth detention center, ongoing projects at the Reading Regional Airport, and efforts to advance passenger rail service.
He also pointed to internal county efforts focused on improving efficiency and cost savings as a priority moving forward.
Reflecting on his time in office, Rivera said one of his proudest accomplishments was helping guide the county through the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I took office in 2020, and immediately after that is when COVID started,” he said. “I’m proud of how the county was able to get through COVID and move forward and become better.”
Rivera said he has not yet decided whether he will endorse a candidate to succeed him, adding that he plans to keep the process open to those interested in running.
The press conference was held in a parking lot across from the county services building, with Rivera joined by his family and Leinbach as he made the announcement.
