The race for the six open seats on the Fort Thomas City Council has been heated after a record number of 15 candidates triggered an unprecedented primary last week.
Now, one of the candidates who advanced to the general election has dropped out. Brandon Long announced the news via Facebook over the weekend.
“I am incredibly grateful to every person who supported me and voted for me in the primary election,” he wrote. “Advancing without actively campaigning showed me something important: many residents are ready for change, fresh voices, and more balanced leadership at City Hall.”
Long ran on a campaign that directly opposed the current city council. When he announced his withdrawal, he said he was still “tired of the chaos at City Hall” and urged voters to vote for the six other non-incumbent candidates in November.
“For me, the best contribution I can give to building an honest city hall and Fort Thomas for us all is stepping aside,” Long told WVXU. “I’m stepping aside because I want all the challengers to win.”
Long said the current council has been unable to keep trust with its constituents. In the past year, the city was forced to write off a missing $322,000 after an audit revealed accounting issues.
The primary narrowed down the field to 12 candidates, which is the maximum number of candidates that can appear on the November ballot. Long received 5% of the votes and landed the final spot on the ballot, according to the Kentucky Secretary of State's results.
Of the six current city council members, only five ran in the primary and all moved on to the general election. Incumbent Adam Blau received the most votes of all candidates, at 10%, and Lauren McIntosh is the only incumbent not in the top six after the primary.
The Campbell County Clerk’s Office told WVXU it will not replace Long on the general election ballot. On Nov. 3, voters can expect to choose between 11 candidates in the race.
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