City Councilor Mike Ross has decided not to run for a U.S. Congress seat after openly considering the idea for weeks, according to a press release attributed to his campaign exploratory committee.

“It wasn’t the right time for me, unfortunately,” said Ross, a Democrat who represents part of Jamaica Plain’s Hyde Square. He was considering a run for the 4^th Congressional District seat that U.S. Rep. Barney Frank will leave next year.

Ross indicated that a major factor was the entry into the race of Joseph Kennedy III, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy. Ross noted the “tremendous support for Joseph Kennedy and the legacy of the Kennedy family.”