McGeehan won't run for re-election

State Rep. Mike McGeehan, a Northeast Philly Democrat, will retire at the end of his 12th term.

"Twenty four years is a long time," McGeehan, 53, said yesterday in an interview with the Daily News. "Nobody writes a playbook about how to handle this. For me, it's the right time."

McGeehan noted that the 2012 legislative redistricting left him with a redrawn district that was about 30 percent new to him, but quite similar to the area he first won in 1990.

But, he said, "I think it's time for new eyes."

He declined to name a favored successor, saying he'll support whichever Democrat who wins the primary election next May.

"I always thought it was a point of political hubris to think we could pick our political successor," he said. "I certainly don't have anyone in mind."

McGeehan said he has plans for the "second half of my life," but declined to elaborate.

The potential for a wide-open fight to succeed McGeehan adds to the intrigue among Northeast Philly Democrats. Redistricting moved state Rep. Ed Neilson's seat to York County. That puts Neilson in state Rep. John Sabatina Jr.'s district. They've been expected to fight it out. Neilson has the backing of Electricians Local 98, while Sabatina is the son of powerhouse ward leader John Sabatina Sr., so that could be ugly.