Fall River City Councilor announces she won’t be seeking re-election

There will be at least one open seat on the Fall River City Council for 2026.

According to a post issued on social media on Wednesday afternoon, Laura Sampson will not be seeking re-election.

The statement is as follows:

Good Evening,

Over the past few months, I have been considering the best options for my family and the city that I love, and whether I should seek reelection. After much prayer and careful consideration, I have decided not to seek another term.

I made this decision before last night’s city council meeting. I was planning to wait before releasing this statement. However, considering that some people are assuming my passion is just because I am seeking another term—I felt it necessary to clear up any speculation.

I look forward to continuing my work on the council for the rest of the year. I also look forward to encouraging citizens to run for a seat on the City Council. Please look for the doers and not the talkers; look for individuals with integrity who stand by their statements no matter what. There are some very good candidates coming forward, and others with the same old nonsense.

I am proud of my city; in fact, I absolutely love Fall River. People may not agree with me on everything, but I hope they can see that I truly love Fall River.

And lastly, please, for the love of God, stop calling me a Democrat, lol.

In the 2023 election for City Council, Sampson grabbed the 9th spot beating out Ricky Tith by just over 500 votes.

In June of 2022, then City Councilor Trott Lee resigned leaving Sampson to take his spot after finishing 11th in the 2021 election (10th place Christopher Peckham declined).

Sampson previously served on the Fall River Sewer Commission and is currently the CEO of We Care Health and Wellness after previous work as an addiction/substance abuse counselor at Steppingstone.