John Green announced Monday that he was dropping out of the race for the Central Ward, Position 5 seat on the Bainbridge Island City Council.

The race had been heading toward an August primary after three council hopefuls filed for the seat.

In addition to Green, Arlene Buetow and Wayne Roth filed as candidates last week with the Kitsap County Auditor’s Office.

Green said Monday that he has been friends for many years with Buetow and the two shared priorities for city government.

“We share a common political vision, and the path to same: honesty, clarity and fairness,” Green said. “It does not make political sense for two like-minded candidates to run against each other, possibly confusing the voters and diluting the objective, the vote.”

Green also praised Buetow’s experience as a member of the city’s Utility Advisory Committee.

“Arlene Buetow has a firm grip on the complexities and demanding challenges facing our government in 2014. She has considerable hands-on ‘in the trench’ experience, as the chair of the UAC, and in addition, the priorities at city hall. I share in those priorities,” Green said.

“With that end, I am going to step down as a candidate,” he concluded.