The Democratic opponent of Republican Georgia congressional candidate Marjorie Taylor Greene announced that he is exiting the race Friday.
“I am heartbroken to announce that for family and personal reasons, I cannot continue this race for Congress,” Kevin Van Ausdal said in a statement. “After lengthy discussions with my team, attorneys, party officials, and others, the answer was clear, stepping aside would be best for the voters.” (RELATED: Georgia Candidate Who Reportedly Supported QAnon Conspiracy Wins GOP Runoff)
A message from Kevin Van Ausdal pic.twitter.com/Y5LtVcpK2B
— Kevin Van Ausdal (D) (@KevinVanAusdal) September 11, 2020
Van Ausdal said that he is moving away from Georgia and as a result, will be disqualified from the race.
“This rhetoric has turned into dangerous extremism, like the candidacy of Marjorie Greene,” he added. “I will put every resource, every bit of knowledge into the campaign that comes behind me to defeat Marjorie and restore hope to the people of Northwest Georgia.”
When asked on Twitter if there is time for another candidate to take his place, Van Ausdal said “yes, our team believes so.” However, Georgia law says that a candidate cannot be replaced if they withdraw fewer than 60 days prior to the election, and the election is 53 days away, The Hill reported.
Greene has sparked controversy due to her previous support for QAnon, a group that believes that there is an elite pedophile ring and that an anonymous government figure, “Q”, is communicating with them through symbols and other messages. She has since walked back her support for the group, saying that it doesn’t represent her.
Greene is almost certain to win the Congressional race in her deep red Georgia district, according to The Hill. President Donald Trump has expressed his support for Greene, congratulating her on Twitter for her primary win in August and calling her a “future Republican star.”