Wolff drops out of mayoral race

Kevin Wolff announced Thursday he will end his campaign for Chapel Hill mayor.

The announcement came at a candidate forum at Town Hall, moderated by WCHL.

He said he expected Mark Kleinschmidt to win the race, told Matt Czajkowski to run a strong campaign and called for Augustus Cho to drop out. He left the forum shortly after.

“Kevin believes the town will best be served by stepping aside in order to ensure a clear victory for one of the other candidates,” he stated in a news release.

Due to timing, his name will remain on the ballot.

“I would view any vote for me as a protest vote against the present direction of our Town Council,” he said at the forum.

The campaign was his third mayoral bid. Wolff lost to Kevin Foy in 2007 and 2005.

He also ran unsuccessfully for a seat on the Orange County Board of Commissioners in 2008.

Wolff’s campaign promises included making opening businesses easier and ending Chapel Hill homelessness in a single two-year term. He was recently disqualified from receiving public campaign funds after loaning himself $10,000. He also placed half-page advertisements in area newspapers calling on Czajkowski to withdraw.

He threatened in September to sue any member of the media who reported that his campaign participated in a discussion regarding morality in the election.

Residents said telephone polls labeled Wolff as “the only candidate who can change the council” and “the only moral candidate.”

“He has nothing more to say,” his wife, Mary Wolff, said after he ended his campaign.

Contact the City Editor at citydesk@unc.edu.