Debbie Vann drops out of Central Ward race

Published 4:33 pm Thursday, June 11, 2009

Debbie Vann has dropped out of the Bainbridge Island City Council race in the Central Ward.

She filed last Friday for the position being vacated by incumbent Kjell Stoknes. Vann served as a council member from 2002 through 2005 and recently returned from a year-long sailing sabbatical.

She decided to throw her hat in the ring to give voters more than one option in the ward.

“The main reason I was running was because I didn’t hear anyone else was going to run besides Dee DuMont,” Vann said. “I just don’t think it is a good idea for one candidate to run and walk into office.”

Vann said she changed her mind after the filings by Virginia Paul and Debbi Lester for the position last Friday; DuMont had filed earlier in the week.

She also took issue with online comments made about her candidacy and previous tenure on the council.

“I was pretty outspoken during my last year on council and I made some people angry and I expect that,” Vann said. “I knew there were always going to be those comments to a certain degree [because] the last council race got really nasty. And so that is the other reason. I don’t need that kind of negativity and headache in my life.”