Furolo was elected to the
City of Canterbury council in 1999, and served a stint as its deputy mayor before standing for mayor in the 2004 election. He won that election, and was re-elected in 2008, recording one of the few swings to the Labor Party in an election where the party faced widespread losses across the state. One week before his re-election as mayor, on 5 September 2008, Iemma resigned as Premier, resulting in widespread speculation that he would resign as the member for Lakemba. After delaying an announcement for two weeks, Iemma announced on 19 September that he would indeed retire; a move reportedly attributed to his efforts to see Furolo, his preferred choice, endorsed as his successor.{{cite news|title=Bob, the builders friend, set for seat|work=
Sydney Morning Herald|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/09/14/1221330652976.html ==References==