One day after announcing his bid for the Assembly seat left open by the recent passing of former Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, Jackson Mayor Michael Reina tells TLS in statement this afternoon that he is dropping out of the race.

“I’ve made no mistake that one day I would like to represent the people of the 12th Legislative District as their Assemblyman but after much consideration and in consultation with trusted advisors, I have decided today is not that day,” Reina said.

The statement did not specify an exact reason for dropping out but noted that as the Jackson “population continues to grow and become more diverse and as businesses continue to invest in our community, there is simply too much at stake to trust the work to unsteady and untested leadership,” adding that “[T]here remains much to be done and I intend to see the job through to it’s completion.”