BAKERSVILLE — Democratic candidate Howard Larsen has ended his bid for a seat on the Mitchell County Board of Commissioners.
Larsen announced the news in a press release on Monday, Aug. 31.
“This decision was not made lightly or without thought for what is best for our community and the new endeavors I must pursue,” Larsen said.
Larsen was the lone Democrat on the ballot for county commissioners. Larsen’s departure leaves three Republicans— Brandon Dean Pittman, Jeff Harding and Harley Masters.
Three seats on the board are open in the November General Election.
“I entered this campaign with hopes of bringing a possibly new and different perspective to the issues facing our county,” Larsen said. “I attempted to clearly state and describe my positions and visions that I thought were needed to move forward and enhance this beautiful region.”
Larsen said he was disappointed with the way his ideas and viewpoints were received by the public.
“To my dismay, few wanted to hear or discuss my positions or ideas,” he said. “The only issue of importances was why I am a Democrat.”
Throughout his campaign, Larsen was a vocal proponent of introducing more transparency to the board, streamlining the county budget and developing an independent DSS board.
Larsen said discussions of those and similar issues were “hijacked to topics that were unrelated to the major issues facing Mitchell County.”
“I did not enter this race to have my core values and faith attacked, judged and condemned by those who wouldn’t know me if we met on the street,” he said.
Larsen has lived in Mitchell County for more than nine years. During his campaign, he focused on holding monthly town hall meetings to solicit input from the public.
“The divisive nature of partisan politics and the development of personality cults has and will continue to destroy the very fabric of our nation,” Larsen said. “The vast majority of Mitchell County people are good and honest but be warned that there is a corrupt and foul underbelly that we all must work at exposing so that its words and actions of hate and prejudice do not darken our hills or valleys.”