Bright Hope pastor won't run for mayor

BRIGHT HOPE Baptist Pastor Kevin R. Johnson, who last month told the Daily News that he may run for mayor in 2015, has decided against forming an exploratory committee.

Johnson last week emailed friends and supporters to notify them of his decision.

"For those of you who know [wife] Kimya and me, you know that our first priority is our family and the second is the congregation at Bright Hope Baptist Church," he wrote in the email. "While I will continue to serve in various capacities in our great City, at this time, my responsibilities as a father and pastor will be my focus."

Johnson has never run for office, but his potential candidacy was greeted positively from those who are hoping to see an "outsider" join the race.

He was criticized by some after the Daily News reported that he may have used connections to get his kids into the prestigious Penn Alexander School, despite living outside its catchment area.

Former U.S. Rep. Bill Gray III, who died last year, was the pastor at Bright Hope, at Cecil B. Moore Avenue and 12th Street, from 1972 to 2007.