Therese Murray, President of the Massachusetts state Senate, announced Saturday that she will not seek re-election to the Beacon Hill chamber. What Senator Murray is planning for the next chapter in her life and political career remains unclear at this time.

According to the Boston Globe, Senator Stanley C. Rosenberg (D-Amherst) has claimed sufficient votes among his colleagues to become the chamber’s next president.

Senator Murray’s storied career in the legislature began upon her first triumphant election in 1992 but she made history in 2007 when she became the first woman President of the Massachusetts Senate. She went on to help craft and push through a number of successful pieces of legislation such as the Children’s Mental Health and the Health Care Reform Act of 2006 all the while chairing the Joint Committee on Human Services and Elder Affairs, Joint Committee on Insurance and Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

In a statement, Senator Murray noted the following, “I have reached the decision that I will not be a candidate for re-election to the state Senate. It has been the greatest honor to serve the Commonwealth and I am forever thankful to the people of the Plymouth and Barnstable District for electing me to this seat time and time again.”

For his part, Mayor Walsh, who served as a state Representative since 1997, issued a glowing statement of admiration for Senator Murray.

Said the mayor,

For the past 22 years, the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have benefited immensely from the dedication of Senate President Therese Murray. From mental health parity to ethics reform, she has devoted her career to supporting those in need and improving government. I am proud to call Terry a colleague and a friend. As a fellow native of Dorchester with strong ties to Ireland, we have much in common. I thank her for her tireless public service and commend her on a remarkable career in the Massachusetts Senate.