Kevin Van Ausdal, the Democratic nominee for Georgia’s 14th District Congressional seat, announced Friday he is dropping out of the race.
In a statement on his social media pages, Van Ausdal said he is heartbroken about the decision to drop out and is doing so for “family and personal reasons.”
“After lengthy discussions with my team, attorneys, party officials and others, the answer was clear, stepping aside would be best for the voters,” Van Ausdal said in the statement. “The next steps in my life are taking me away from Georgia, so I will be disqualified from serving in Congress and will give the party a chance to put forward a candidate that can carry this fight to the end.”
Van Ausdal was considered a longshot in the deeply red Northwest Georgia district.
He faced Marjorie Taylor Greene, a businesswoman who easily beat neurosurgeon John Cowan in a primary runoff for the open seat on the Republican ticket. The winner of the November general election will replace U.S. Rep Tom Graves, who did not seek re-election.