One week after being endorsed for Common Council by the Democratic Town Committee, Chris Drake and Rob Blanchard have withdrawn their names from the slate.
Blanchard, in a letter to the Town Clerk announcing his decision, enumerated the reasons that attracted him to our city, one with "character and culture, and incredibly hard-working people ... unlike anywhere else ..."
And the reasons he chose to serve in our city's government in the first place, "... [to] accomplish in Middletown if we all worked together to enhance our vibrant downtown and make our education system a top-tier school district while ensuring a predictable and affordable tax rate."
But Blanchard has been juggling the demands of campaigning and governing at both the state and the local level for over 7 years, and he said, "I no longer possess the time or commitment I feel the people who first elected me deserve."
Blanchard concluded, "I cannot thank the residents of our city enough for giving me the honor of a lifetime and look forward to helping our great city in other capacities. I wish our future city leaders the best of luck."
Drake too praised the city and said he was proud that of his service on the Board of Education, and his part in the documented improvements in our city's public education.
But Drake said that in the past year, the fractures in the Democratic party had taken a toll on him, "For me personally, those fractures have led to countless hours of bickering and stress, straining relationships with people that I like."
Drake concluded, "As I have knocked doors this cycle, I have found myself admiring the people on the other side, who are going about their regular life, working in their garden, or tinkering with their motorcycle, or just sitting outside on a nice day reading a book."
"I am going to try to be that person for a while."
So sad to see Middletown lose Chris Drake. We need to be able to keep good people in office, not drive them out.
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