Lance Sanders, alderman for Ward 2, Position 2, announced this week he has withdrawn his bid for re-election. Sanders announced his intention with a letter sent to the newspaper and posted on social media.
He said he realized that he had too many committments and decided he could not give enough time and attention to the position. He said he may want to run for a state office one day.
His opponent, Cody Keene, said he is continuing his campaign and held a campaign kick-off Sunday, Sept. 16, in the School Heritage Building.
Sanders said his name will still be on the ballot but he will resign after the election if he were to win. He said the mayor and City Council would then be responsible for appointing someone to fill the vacancy that would begin in January 2019.
"Many of our citizens have asked for change, so in a way, I hope I am answering that call. We have the opportunity to move forward in unprecedented ways," Sanders wrote.
"Because he withdrew after the deadline of certifying the names and the ballots were already printed," Kim Dennison, Benton County election coordinator, said, "there is no way to take his name off." She explained that if he were to win, he would just have to resign.
General News on 09/19/2018