I entered this race for west side city councilor because I believe our families and community have been in desperate need for a new, collaborative approach to meeting the needs of our neighborhoods and our City. My heart still holds fast to those ideals and aspirations.

Sometimes, however, it becomes clear that our desire to achieve such honorable goals, and our role in that process, can change but yet still contribute to the ongoing effort to achieve great progress for our community.
 
That is why I have decided to alter my role in this important city council race and withdraw my candidacy for west side councilor.

My family and I have thought long and hard about this decision and after seeking input from many people, we believe the best avenue to successfully bringing the overdue change that our district is in need of will be by working for a candidate who shares with me many of the goals I have been pursuing.  That candidate is Dan Lewis.  

Dan has already made great strides in reaching out to our community, meeting thousands of our people going door to door, and working hard to achieve many of the priorities that we both share. Dan Lewis is a good and decent man. He has both the ability to be an effective city councilor and the moral compass to be an ethical city councilor.

 I believe that the 8 year incumbent candidate Cadigan likely started out with good intentions. Since we first elected him in 2001, however, it has become clear that many of his judgments have been left wanting, which has been costly for our district and city.

Therefore I sincerely believe that the time has come to redraw the ethical line on our city council representation back to a place of honest public service, without so many personal business and ethical conflicts that the record reflects Mr. Cadigan clearly has. Continuing his “status quo” is not good for our district nor a good example for our children and our families.
 
Though I have decided not to maintain my candidacy for west side city councilor, my goals and priorities for our district and its people have never been more focused. I strongly believe Mr. Lewis has demonstrated his commitment to these same priorities. Dan and his wife have built a wonderful family and as a small business owner and employer, and through his leadership as a west side pastor, and with his energy as a teacher, youth coach, and mentor he will bring us the sense of community and family focus that my candidacy was seeking in the first place.
 
I look forward to helping Dan help our District move ahead with a new and positive attitude, and with the new set of eyes we need to tackle the many challenges we face in a collaborative, "can do" manner.
 
There will certainly be other avenues of service through which I can contribute to my district. For now, helping Dan Lewis is the best way I can do this.
 
Thank you