ESCANABA, Mich. (WZMQ) – The race is still on for the District 4 seat on the Delta County Board of Commissioners, despite one candidate saying he had “suspended” his campaign.
David Moyle served several terms as District 4 commissioner before losing the seat to Kelli Van Ginhoven in May’s recall election. Moyle won the August Republican primary with no opposing candidate, while Van Ginhoven won the Democratic primary over challenger Jason Sacco.
Van Ginhoven and Moyle were set to face off again in November, but Moyle announced his campaign’s suspension on Facebook the day after the primary.
“I have indefinitely suspended my campaign for reelection,” his statement read in part. “Even if I am elected, I will not accept placement to the office of County commissioner district four. I am going to take an early retirement based on medical issues, and I want to spend some time with my daughter, investing in her future.”
However, Delta County Clerk Nancy Przewrocki says Moyle is still in the running, as the deadline to withdraw from the race was in April.
“By the time he withdrew, the ballots were already in the process of being printed, so there was no way to get his name off the ballot at this point,” Przewrocki explained. “You will still see two names on the ballot.”
A representative for Moyle told WZMQ 19 that while he has not been campaigning for the seat, the Delta County GOP has been campaigning on his behalf. Just over two months after his initial statement, Moyle now says if he is elected in November, he will serve.
“I’ve served the citizens of Delta County for 14 years as a commissioner,” he told WZMQ 19. “If the voters put me in, I will be honest. I’ve always been honest. If the voters say no, that’s okay. I will respectfully bow out.”
In August, Moyle listed “harassment” and “death threats” his family received as the reason for his campaign’s suspension. Today, he stands by that decision.
“I got sick and tired of my family being threatened,” he said. “My family’s not public figures; I was a public figure and still am a public figure. It was more of a protest move than anything. Strangely enough, I fell off of their radar and people quit maligning and threatening my family. It’s not something that I’m going to tolerate or look forward to again, but things are happening that are beginning to concern me at the county level. The public’s not aware of it yet, but you give it a couple months, and you’re going to be extremely aware of it.”
Moyle’s spokesperson says he will not participate in the Delta County League of Women Voters candidate forum on Wednesday, October 23. The forum is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Escanaba City Hall.
