Speaking at City Hall on Thursday, Leal said the decision came after considerable reflection on his health, age and family, despite strong encouragement from supporters to run again.
The announcement was made in front of family members, city staff and supporters, including councillors Gary Baldwin and Kevin Duguay.
Leal said he is proud of what has been accomplished during his first term as mayor and believes the city is positioned well for the future.
“I'm satisfied that I've done my part to help transform our city and entrench a positive direction for Peterborough moving forward,” he said.
Throughout his remarks, Leal pointed to progress on housing, infrastructure, parks, city services, environmental initiatives and long-term planning. He said the foundation has been established for major projects that will continue beyond his time in office.
Among the projects he referenced were the new event centre, the proposed Alto development, airport expansion plans and efforts to support continued growth throughout the city.
But while he remains optimistic about Peterborough's future, Leal said personal considerations ultimately drove his decision.
“At the end of the day, I have to be realistic about my age and my health,” he said.
Leal noted that he has continued to maintain what he described as a strong attendance record despite battling prostate cancer during the current term. He also revealed that upcoming knee surgeries and rehabilitation played a significant role in his thinking.
“Unfortunately, I require knee surgeries and consequent rehab that would make my high standards of work ethic difficult to achieve,” he said.
The mayor also spoke emotionally about wanting to spend more time with his family.
“My parents both passed shortly after they'd finished work. They were given very little time to enjoy their retirement. I don't want this to be my story,” he said.
“I want to enjoy my beautiful family while I still have good health.”
While stepping away from electoral politics, Leal stressed that he is not finished with the job.
“I still have months of being mayor ahead of me and I very much look forward to continue the work that needs to be done,” he said.
“I will continue to be relentless in my pursuit to advance and finalize some very important projects.”
Following his formal announcement, Leal told reporters he was satisfied with what council and staff have accomplished over the past four years.
“When you look at the platform that we campaigned on in 2022, we were able to accomplish almost 90 plus percent of those commitments,” he said. “Working with this council and our city staff, we've moved the direction of this city forward.”
Leal's decision will mark the end of one of the longest and most recognizable political careers in Peterborough's history.
A lifelong Peterborough resident, he first served 18 years on Peterborough City Council before being elected as Peterborough's Member of Provincial Parliament in 2003. He was re-elected in 2007, 2011 and 2014 and later served as Ontario's Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. He also held several other cabinet, parliamentary assistant and government leadership roles during his time at Queen's Park.
After leaving provincial politics, Leal returned to municipal government and was elected mayor in 2022.
Reflecting on his career Thursday, Leal said public service has always been about advancing the interests of the community.
“As your MPP, Cabinet Minister, Mayor, my sole objective was to advance the interests of our community and to improve the lives of all our citizens,” he said.
“I have served in public life now for almost 4 decades.”
Leal closed his announcement by expressing confidence in the city's future.
“The work continues, the foundation is strong, and Peterborough has a bright future.”
