Why did a District 1 candidate pull out of a competitive Augusta Commission race?
Candidate Kevin de l’Aigle has dropped out of the race for the Augusta Commission District 1 seat, leaving four candidates running.
“After much consideration, I regret that I need to withdraw from candidacy for the Augusta-Richmond County District 1 commission seat due to ongoing family concerns,” he said in a statement released late Tuesday by Travis Doss, executive director of the Augusta-Richmond County Board of Elections. “I realize that due to these family issues and circumstances related to my job, I would not be able to fulfill the duties of the office to the extent of my abilities or with the attention and time the county deserves.”
Fighting for change: Augusta activist walks in ancestors' footsteps
An Augusta native, de l’Aigle, who chooses to use the ancestral spelling of his name, moved back to Augusta from New York in 2022 to help renovate and restore the historic DeLaigle House at 551 Greene St. His great-great-aunt, Confederate widow Mary Clark DeLaigle, built the house in 1873.
A hospitality executive, de l’Aigle’s campaign emphasized civic beautification and historic restoration, assisting in several local projects himself.
The withdrawal puts the nonpartisan District 1 race among four candidates – incumbent Jordan Johnson; former District 1 Commissioner Matt Aitken; Jo’Rae Jenkins, who also ran for the seat in 2009 and 2012; and newcomer Kenny Osorio.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta Commission's District 1 race narrows to four candidates
