Jackson Rules Out D.C. Mayoral Bid : Politics: He leaves open the possibility of a run for the presidency in 1992. His announcement ends a year of speculation.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson announced Monday that he will not run for mayor of the District of Columbia, but he left open the possibility of a third bid for the presidency in 1992.

“I want to serve, but not as mayor,” Jackson told a news conference. “. . . At present, I believe that I may best serve by continuing work at a national level to change the direction of this country.”

The announcement ended speculation that began nearly a year ago when Jackson moved from Chicago to Washington. He has been under pressure to declare his intentions since Mayor Marion Barry was arrested on Jan. 18 for allegedly smoking crack cocaine under FBI surveillance.

Jackson said that many people had encouraged him to run for mayor.

“I and my family did seriously and respectfully hear, weigh and consider their feelings, views and arguments as to why I should run for mayor,” he said. “Their faith in my leadership has been enormously gratifying.”

But he said that running for mayor would prevent him from being involved in the many far-flung activities of his Rainbow Coalition. In recent months, for example, Jackson has visited Nelson Mandela in South Africa, assisted striking coal miners in West Virginia and made plans for a nationally syndicated television talk show, beginning in September.

When asked whether he intended to seek the presidency again, Jackson replied that such a question was “premature,” and added: “We won’t rule it in, but it’s not the season for it.”

Also, he did not rule out the idea of running for the job of “shadow senator” from Washington, D.C., a symbolic position from which he could campaign to make the District of Columbia a state that would have two real senators. The “shadow senator” is elected every two years.

“I want to remain free enough to serve, to challenge and to help on the morally right causes and questions of our day,” Jackson said.

Nevertheless, his decision was interpreted by many Democrats as a good indication that he intends to run for President again. John C. White, the former national Democratic chairman and a Jackson adviser, said that it would mean “a rerun of 1988.”

Jackson announced also that he has scheduled a meeting in Atlanta next May of those people who represented him as delegates and alternates at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. He said that they would discuss such issues as access to voter registration, the credibility of the census, reapportionment and the key 1990 congressional campaigns.

White and other prominent Democrats, such as Bert Lance, who served as budget director in the Jimmy Carter Administration, had urged Jackson to seek the mayor’s job, arguing that he cannot be elected President without first serving in a lesser elected office.

“Until he holds public office, people are going to say ‘you haven’t really run anything, therefore, you don’t have the credibility to talk about it,’ ” Lance said in a telephone interview. “It was discussed in 1988 and it’s certainly going to be brought up if he runs for President again. If Jesse had been elected mayor, he would have been through with that.”

In taking himself out of contention, Jackson indicated that he would probably endorse one of the candidates in the race for mayor. And he did not rule out endorsing Barry, who is currently undergoing treatment for substance abuse.

Jackson’s announcement was a welcome development to the other candidates who are seeking the Democratic mayoral nomination. One of them, City Councilman John Ray, noted that Jackson’s decision removes a “major player” from the competition.

A recent Washington Post poll of district voters showed that, despite his arrest, Barry would still defeat all of his potential opponents--including Jackson--in a crowded field of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor. Barry polled 25%, compared to 19% for Jackson and 14% for Ray.

Jackson had previously ruled out running for mayor if Barry decided to seek a fourth term. Barry’s plans to kick off his reelection campaign in late January were canceled shortly after his arrest, but he has not announced whether he will withdraw from the race.

Jackson, a longtime acquaintance of Barry, expressed concern for the mayor’s health. He refused to express his opinion about whether Barry should run again.

“I have always had a very genuine concern about the personal welfare of the mayor and the destiny of the city,” Jackson said. “I am his friend. I will continue to have those concerns.”

Jackson said that he would continue to campaign in favor of statehood for the district. In the past, he has said that he would run for the Senate from Washington if it achieved statehood.