Palm Springs Mayor Won’t Seek Reelection

Entertainer and restaurateur Sonny Bono and half a dozen lesser-knowns will run for mayor of this desert resort, but incumbent Mayor Frank Bogert did not file a candidacy by Thursday’s deadline.

Bono, who will be 53 on Feb. 16, is making his first bid for office in the April 12 election. He said this desert city faces strong competition for tourism, is struggling with a deficit budget and needs to balance growth with desert preservation.

“Some people say, ‘He’s ahead because of who he is,’ ” said Bono, who made hit records with former wife Cher and starred with her on television. “And some people use that (the entertainment career) to question my credibility. You have the burden of trying to bring your message across to them.”

Bogert, 78, had said previously that he planned not to run, but then indicated that he was reconsidering when Bono launched an attack on his administration. But the 5 p.m. Thursday deadline passed without Bogert filing, said Anne Wicklin of the city clerk’s office.