Hartford - Former Bridgeport Mayor Joseph Ganim became a free man Monday after serving nearly seven years for corruption while in office, but political experts and local officials don't see him running for office any time soon.

The 50-year-old Ganim was a popular mayor, often credited with reviving Connecticut's largest city, and had ambitions to become governor.

Asked if he planned to seek public office again, Ganim said, "I think right now I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time at home catching up on some family time. So that's what the future holds right now. We'll see what happens from there."

Ganim, who was on home confinement for the past several months, drove to Hartford with his 9-year-old son Monday morning to sign out of the halfway house where he was sent in January after being released from prison. He walked up to the halfway house with his arm around his son.

"It's a great day," he said. "It's been a long haul, and I really want to thank my family and my friends and so many people who have been so supportive for us over too many months to count."

Ganim was sentenced to nine years in prison in 2003 for steering city contracts in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in expensive wine, custom clothes, cash and home improvements. He got his sentence reduced by a year for participating in a drug treatment program.

Political experts said Ganim would have a tough time winning office again, and leading Bridgeport Democrats cast doubt that he would even be interested, at least in the short term.

"It's supremely difficult for someone who served a jail sentence for corruption to come back and say, 'All right, voters, I'd like you to give me your trust again,"' said Scott McLean, professor of political science at Quinnipiac University.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch, a one-time Ganim supporter up for election next year, said he wasn't worried about facing a challenge from Ganim.

"I don't believe he was popular when he left," Finch said. "His actions disgraced the city."

Asked if he thought Ganim was interesting in running for office again, longtime Bridgeport Democratic Chairman Mario Testa said, "Right now, I don't think so." But Testa said Ganim was a good mayor and that he could support him again.

Under state law, felons can have their voting rights restored, which is needed to run for office, if they pay their fines and are discharged from prison and any parole, according to Ted Bromley, director of elections for the secretary of state.

Ganim told The Associated Press he was thankful his sentence was over.

"I look forward from here to putting my life back together along with my family and becoming a contributing member of society again," he said.

Ganim said he will work at his family's law practice in Bridgeport while he works to get his law license back.

Ganim was convicted of 16 corruption charges, including extortion, bribery and racketeering. Ganim, who was first elected in 1991, was serving his fifth term in office when he was indicted in 2001.