And then there were three: Mogk drops out

John Mogk, the last candidate to enter the Democrats' once-crowded 1st District Congressional race, is now the second to withdraw. His announcement was a surprise, since he had been an active campaigner here in Racine; he worked the crowds during the July 4 parade and was doing so again a couple of Saturdays ago during the MicroCar show on Monument Square.

The winner of the now three-candidate primary on Sept. 9 gets to take on established Republican incumbent Paul Ryan, and his $1.8 million or so campaign warchest. At first, it appeared there would be five candidates, but perennial hopeful (and loser) Jeff Thomas, although having insisted he would run, did not submit the signatures or file papers necessary to get on the ballot when the filing period closed on July 8. With Mogk's withdrawal, the Democrats must choose among first-timers Paulette Garin and Marge Krupp, and 2006's second-place finisher Mike Hebert.

Mogk, who only announced his entrance into the race on June 8, posted the following announcement on his website:

I, John Mogk, a candidate for U.S. Congress representing the 1st Congressional District, am announcing today my decision to withdraw from the Democratic primary scheduled for September 9. I entered the race in late May of this year at the urging of many supporters, and am proud of the campaign we've run, bringing up important issues like the environment, renewable energies, and creating jobs in Southeast Wisconsin.

From the beginning of the campaign, we held to my message that the election was bigger than any one candidate. It has been a long standing goal of the Democratic Party in the 1st CD to defeat Paul Ryan in the November election, and I will not stand in the way of achieving that. For the good of the Party I feel this is the time to step aside. The election was never about me, but about making a positive change for the people.

I do plan to stay involved with the local and presidential races, and the reasons I entered the race still need to be addressed. This district is facing the growing problems of a failing health care system, lost jobs, and a national debt that will drown the country, and deeply impact Southeast Wisconsin. Paul Ryan continues to be part of the problem and offers no solutions for the people, just sweeter deals for his special interests in Washington. I will continue working to help Sen. Barack Obama be elected President, and will fully support the Democratic nominee of the 1st district against Rep. Ryan.

I thank you all for your support, and urge every single one of you to stay active in the local, state, and national races this Fall. This is too important an election to dismiss. We all need to come together to ensure a better, brighter future for everyone.

John Mogk

More about Mogk HERE and HERE.