Susan Taylor officially withdrew her candidacy today for a Newport City Council At-Large position.
Taylor, who served on Newport City Council from 2016 to 2020, was among the ten original candidates to declare their candidacy for one the four seats on Newport City Council At-Large seat at the end of June.
On July 19, Taylor provided the following statement in regards to her reasons for withdrawing;
I declared two weeks ago – admittedly a last-minute decision – out of concern with the number of candidates declaring whose names were not associated with government experience. I feared that the two open At-Large seats had a high chance of being filled by candidates without the skills, temperament, and experience to handle the job effectively.
Between then and now, I’ve been able to speak with most of the At-Large candidates and am convinced Newport has several strong options this election cycle. In particular, I’ve been impressed with the education and extensive background of some of the At-Large candidates, and enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside one of them recently on the Charter Review Commission.
I continue to care deeply about the recent accomplishments in our city government, and I remain engaged in Newport issues, notably with the Charter Review Commission’s recommendations, and the Transportation Master Plan. I will continue to support efforts to promote responsible, equitable, and sustainable development in Newport.
Newport has an opportunity to elect a council filled with energy and significant experience, new ideas and a desire to work together for the benefit of all Newporters. I applaud these candidates for stepping up. I look forward to an exciting election season as we get to know the candidates even better. I urge you all to pay close attention as this election offers a vision for a new direction for Newport.
Those who remain in the race for the four seats At-Large are incumbents Lynne Ceglie and Jeanne Marie Napolitano, along with Eames Yates, Stephanie Smyth, Mark Aramli, Xaykham Rexford Khamsyvoravong, and Katherine Jessup.
Each of the Ward seats are uncontested, with incumbent Angela McCalla running for Ward 1, incumbent Charlie Holder for Ward 2, and David Carlin III running for Ward 3.