By Gordon Anderson | gordon@rantnc.com
Democrat Tashera Nichols McDuffie has withdrawn her name from the race for North Carolina House District 51.
McDuffie, of Cameron, filed paperwork with the Moore County Board of Elections on March 6 taking herself out of the race to replace retiring Republican Rep. John Sauls. House District 51 covers all of Lee County and parts of eastern Moore.
McDuffie told The Rant that she had “temporarily suspended” the campaign “due to a personal family matter.”
“I’ve had the luxury of living my life through my heart’s desire over the past ten years,” McDuffie said. “Now I want to do my part to make sure my family has every opportunity to succeed together.”
McDuffie’s name will not appear on the November ballot.
This doesn’t mean the Republican nominee for the seat, Sanford City Councilman Charles Taylor, won’t face opposition. Sanford business owner April Montgomery has submitted more than the number of petition signatures to gain ballot access as an unaffiliated candidate and expects those signatures to be approved in the coming days.
Note: A previous version of this story indicated McDuffie’s name would still appear on the ballot in November. The error has been corrected.