VALDOSTA, GA – In the latest development in an unusual local election season, Lowndes County Commissioner Crawford Powell announced Tuesday that he will withdraw from the race for the Republican nomination for the Georgia House seat in District 174.

Powell qualified to run for the seat after long-time Representative Ellis Black announced his intentions to leave the seat to run for the Eighth District Senate seat, which is being vacated by the retiring Tim Golden. For one day, Powell was the lone qualifier for the seat until John Corbett from Lake Park qualified on the final day for the Republican bid and Jessie Smith of Folkston qualified on the final day for the Democratic nomination.

Powell’s name will still appear on the ballot due to his late withdrawal.

Powell told Valdosta Today that he wanted to spend more time focusing on his family and his business. This year, he is completing the fourth and final year of his first four-year term on the County Commission. Prior to that, he served for seven years on the Lowndes County Industrial Authority. He added that he could consider running for office in the future.

Powell becomes the third candidate to drop out of a race during the last two weeks. Thomas Sims qualified and then withdrew from contention in the Lowndes County Commission District 3 race and Roger Christie qualified but then withdrew from the Lowndes County Board of Education race in District 5.

Advance voting for the May 20 primary election will begin on April 28.