PORT ANGELES — City Council candidate Cody Blevins has dropped out of the race, but his opponent, incumbent Cherie Kidd, vowed Wednesday to campaign until Election Day on Nov. 8.
Blevins, 30, who was running against Kidd, 65, for the Position 7 seat in the Nov. 8 general election, had suspended his campaign Monday and withdrew as a candidate Wednesday.
“My relationship seems to be falling apart,” Blevins said.
“It’s not fair to run a campaign and do it part way and have my mind worrying about a roof over my head and food in my stomach.”
While Blevins’ name will go before voters because the ballots have already been printed, Clallam County elections supervisor Shoona Radon said earlier this week, Kidd effectively has no opponent.
Kidd got emotional Wednesday when she learned she is the presumptive winner of a second four-year term.
“I’m sorry, I think I’m going to cry,” Kidd said.
“It means so much to me to represent the people of Port Angeles. I wish Cody the best. I just run for the people of Port Angeles to represent them because I have made a difference for them.”
Kidd ran unsuccessful City Council races against Larry Williams in 2005 and the late Jack Pittis in 2003.
Still campaigning
She said she will continue campaigning until Nov. 8, the deadline for ballots to be postmarked in the all-mail election.
“I worked hard to get elected on the council, and I’m working hard to get re-elected,” she said.
“I have nothing to say about [Blevins’] personal life. Honestly, there’s so much work and stress on the City Council, you do need to have your personal life in order.”
Blevins, a salesman-installer for Hi-Tech Electronics in Port Angeles, unsuccessfully ran against Larry Little for the City Council in 2009.
“Certain things you can’t time,” Blevins said.
“This was a tough decision to make.”
In other City Council races, incumbent Dan Di Guilio is running against Noelle Fuller for Position 5, incumbent Don Perry is running against Sissi Bruch for Position 6, and incumbent Brad Collins is running against Andrew (Drew) Schwab.
Collins was appointed to Little’s seat after Little resigned for family health reasons two days after taking office in 2010.
All the council races are citywide.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-417-3536 or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
