Palmer ends bid for seat on Iredell County Board of Commissioners

Posted on by Mike Fuhrman

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Blake Palmer announced Wednesday that he is ending his campaign for one of three seats on the Iredell County Board of Commissioners.

Blake Palmer

“When I decided to jump in this race, it was because I wanted to ensure a brighter future for my two young children,” Palmer said in a news release. “It has become clear, particularly over the past few weeks, that the level of commitment expected for the remainder of this campaign and, if elected, the job of County Commissioner, would not allow me to juggle my full-time job and family in a way that my children need and that I am comfortable with. So, for the same reason I entered this race, I am withdrawing from it.”

Palmer is one of 10 Republicans who filed to run for a seat on the Board of Commissioners. The primary election is May 17; early voting begins April 28.

Palmer expressed his appreciation to those who have supported him during the campaign.

“We have succeeded in setting the debate, whether it be the necessity (or more appropriately lack thereof) of corporate economic incentives, the consequences of unmitigated growth or the importance of low taxes,” he said. “It’s important to challenge the status quo at times, and my campaign did just that. I will not be making any endorsements, but those that have followed my campaign know the issues I find most important and can find which candidates have the best solutions for those issues.

Palmer said he was disappointed by his decision, but his commitment to his family would always be his No. 1 priority.

“There is a large field of candidates in this primary, and it is only fair to voters to have the opportunity to vote for someone that is confident he/she will be able to commit the amount of time to this job that it requires. Among the many things learned during this campaign, with a full-time job and two young children, that person cannot be me. I have no regrets about my initial decision to run, as I think it is critical now more than ever that we have people within our community willing to come forward to address the issues of today.”