Port of Olympia District 3 candidate Goodman withdraws from race

Port of Olympia District 3 commission candidate Larry Goodman said Thursday that he no longer is a candidate for the seat because of health concerns.

Goodman, who is in his early 70s, filed to run for the seat before the May 15 deadline, but it was also around that time that he had a health setback, he said.

Goodman didn’t disclose specific health problems, but said in recent years he had undergone back surgeries and had a stroke.

“This really makes me angry and frustrated,” said Goodman about his health, because he said he recently had been in excellent health.

“I’m not capable of campaigning or capable of fulfilling the expectations of the job,” he said.

Goodman is a former staffer for the Washington Federation of State Employees.

The remaining candidates in the District 3 race are E.J. Zita, who teaches at The Evergreen State College; Jerry Farmer, co-owner of KRXY 94.5 FM; and Bob Jones, a retired member of the military who also consults with small manufacturers on how to do business with the federal government.

Goodman also applied for the temporary seat on the port commission, as did Zita, Farmer and Jones, but it ultimately was awarded to Michelle Morris, who is not running for election.

The date for withdrawing from the race was the Monday following the May 15 filing deadline, Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall said Thursday.

As a result, Goodman’s name will still be on the ballot for the Aug. 4 primary. There’s no penalty for missing the withdrawal date, she said, although his $60 filing fee is nonrefundable. The voters pamphlet also has already been printed, Hall said.

Meanwhile, several local candidates, including the port District 3 and District 1 candidates, will participate in a League of Women Voters’ forum on Saturday that will be taped at the Thurston Community TV studios.

Although it is a forum, the event is not open to the public because the studio has limited space, said Deborah Vinsel, TCTV’s executive director.

Following the taping on Saturday, the forum will be posted within the week on the TCTV website and its YouTube page, and it will be broadcast on Comcast channel 77 and Fairpoint Communications channel 23, Vinsel said.

This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Port of Olympia District 3 candidate Goodman withdraws from race."