Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Politics

One quits mayor race; two remain

By ANNE LINDBERG
Published January 3, 2007

Citing family and business reasons, Arden Ford withdrew Tuesday from the race for Seminole mayor.

"I'm very sorry. I felt I could have really helped the city," Ford wrote in a short statement announcing his withdrawal.

In an interview, Ford said the campaign was tearing his family apart and taking too much time from his business, A-1 Auto Service on Seminole Boulevard. His wife didn't like the pressure of having to defend his politics, he said.

"My wife will divorce me if I kept on doing this," Ford said. "It's very unfortunate. I feel really bad. I have never, never, never quit anything I've started. ... I'm very sorry. I had no idea this was going to happen."

Ford's departure leaves a two-way race between Mayor Jimmy Johnson and Trina Watkins, who stepped down from her council seat to run.

Ford declined to endorse either Johnson or Watkins, saying he doesn't think either would make a good mayor.

"The city of Seminole does not have the right person for mayor yet," Ford said. "Neither one of the people running is going to change anything for Seminole ... in fact, it will get worse."

Ford said he doesn't think Johnson is a good candidate because he also serves as the executive director of the Seminole Chamber of Commerce. Ford says he knows that is not illegal but it seems like a conflict of interest. Johnson, he added, lacks the strength to be a good mayor and only wants to hand out awards and have his picture taken.

Watkins, he said, is basically the puppet of former Mayor Dottie Reeder and is only running "because Dottie wants her to do it."

Both Johnson and Watkins said they were sorry to see Ford leave the race.

"It's unfortunate because the more people that run, the better race you have," Johnson said. "I wish him the very best."

Johnson said the state ethics division ruled long ago that it is not a conflict of interest to work for the chamber while holding public office. If a vote affects the chamber, he abstains, Johnson said.

He said handing out awards is part of the mayor's job and that he would consider it an honor to do that.

Watkins said she was disappointed that Ford had to drop out but that she understood. "I am a person who believes that family and personal situations definitely come first," she said.

Reeder did not urge her to run for mayor, she said. Had Reeder done so, Watkins said, the decision would have been made earlier and she could have hung on to her seat during the campaign.

"I was just continually going through the thought process up until the week before the deadline to make the decision for what I personally thought was the best thing to do," Watkins said. "I was directed by no one, just my own desires."

Watkins said she is not sure why Ford would make that allegation but that everyone is entitled to his opinion.

[Last modified January 2, 2007, 21:30:00]