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Mpls. Mayoral Candidate Jim Thomas Drops Out Of Race

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The race of contenders to take over as mayor of Minneapolis just got one more name smaller after Jim Thomas announced he is suspending his bid.

Thomas said he is now backing Mark Andrew to take over the office after it's vacated by R.T. Rybak, who decided not to seek reelection after winning three terms.

Thomas said he endorses Andrew because the two share a commitment to early childhood education.

"I decided to drop out of the race for mayor because I have accomplished a lot during this campaign, but realistically, I won't win on November 5th," Thomas said. "My efforts will continue to organize and inform parents and teachers around the issues and efforts that undermine all of our children getting a quality education. The stakes are too high for Minneapolis' future."

Andrew is running as a Democrat. He owns two State Fair Businesses and has served 16 years on the Hennepin County Board.

Of the remaining five candidates in the running for the mayor's office, only one -- Cam Winton -- is a Republican. Any of the candidates can run without a party endorsement in November.

November's election will be the second to use ranked-choice voting.

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