John Washington, candidate for mayor of Scottsdale, withdraws from race

Community activist John Washington has announced that he is ending his write-in candidacy for the office of Mayor of Scottsdale.

From his press release -

It is with great respect and appreciation for my supporters and our citizens of Scottsdale that I hereby withdraw from the September 2, 2008 General Election race for Mayor.

My goal in running for mayor was to drive a higher level of conversation about the issues that are important to the citizens of Scottsdale. I am pleased the other candidates have embraced these issues, among them:

· Openness and honesty in creating public policy.
· Respect for, and value of citizen input.
· Financial responsibility, and good stewardship of taxpayers’ money.
· Traffic, growth, building height, population density.
· Value of Scottsdale’s history, identity, and community character.
· The importance of Scottsdale’s character to tourism and to our quality of life.

These issues have also become central themes during Council candidate forums and discussions. Our citizens have applauded these discussions with renewed interest in their government. I am proud to have accomplished this important goal. I also realize, though, that important work lies ahead during the last weeks before the election.

Our citizens better understand the issues facing the next Council. However, there are many Council candidates, and few opportunities for one-on-one conversation with them. Therefore, I want to focus my energy on expanding dialogue between the candidates and our citizens, encouraging our citizens to vote, and encouraging them to vote based on candidates’ track records rather than on campaign promises.

I am pleased to endorse Tom Giller (www.TomGiller.com) and Nan Nesvig(www.NanNesvig.com) for Scottsdale City Council. Tom and Nan have stood alongside our citizens, defending our neighborhoods and our quality of life. Through their efforts and personal sacrifice they have demonstrated their passion for, and their commitment to Scottsdale and her residents. I look forward to working with Tom and Nan during the next four years.

I encourage you to get to know Tom and Nan, and to give them your support and your vote on September 2. As I have learned, it is a lot of work for a candidate to get his or her message out to our citizens to help them make informed decisions. Please help Tom and Nan get on Council so they can look after our interests.

Your questions are welcome, and I will maintain www.ScottsdaleCitizen.com as a portal for information on the election.

Thank you for your support!

John Washington
480.229.1831
john[at]ReactionResearch.com

I'll concede that this isn't much of a surprise as he didn't have a snowball's chance of winning, but as an observer/writer, I'm going to miss his presence in the race. He changed the dynamic of the race and could have forced it to go to a November run-off election.

With his withdrawal, the two remaining candidates, incumbent Mayor Mary Manross and Councilman Jim Lane, will only have to plan their campaign expenditures for a sprint to September 2 rather than a possible marathon to November.

BTW - that sprint starts tomorrow when mail ballots for the September election go out.

BTW2 - It's interesting, but also not much of a surprise, that Mr. Washington didn't endorse either of the other two candidates. He entered the race in the first place because he isn't particularly impressed with either one.

Look for him to stay active in Scottsdale community goings-on, with an eye toward a run for Council in two years (no inside info there, just a guess on my part. :) )