Democrat Josh Owens is dropping out of the race for Governor.
A spokesperson tells Indy Politics that while he did have the signatures to get on the ballot, disputing an allegation that he was short one signature in the 9th Congressional District.
Owens told supporters Democrats needed someone the party could unify behind and had the time to raise the resources necessary to compete against incumbent Republican Eric Holcomb.
A copy of that letter is below.
Friends,
These last six months have brought an amazing opportunity to travel across Indiana and talk with thousands of Hoosiers in every corner of the state. We collected over 6,000 petitions to put us on the 2020 ballot, we’ve held or attended over 100 events, and we’ve put out policy proposals to move Indiana in a more inclusive and better direction.
I can’t tell you how proud I am of this team. There is an energy around Indiana for change, for leadership, and for a vision that includes all of us and moves every community forward.
To achieve those goals for Indiana, though, we need a nominee that has the full strength of the Democratic Party behind them and sufficient time to raise the necessary resources to execute a competitive race to win in November. Dr. Woody Myers also qualified for the ballot today, and he and I have grown to know each other well over this primary process. After a number of conversations and plenty of analysis, I am confident that he is in the best position to win in November. That is why I am choosing today to support Dr. Myers and withdraw from the race.
Leadership is often framed as only rising to a challenge, but in so many ways it is also about knowing when to change paths to accomplish the greater goal. I don’t make this decision lightly, but I do make it confidently.
Our state needs a champion for public school teachers and students in every community. Our state needs a leader who will act on universal background checks and climate change innovation. And our state needs an executive who will protect all Hoosiers, and one that represents the diversity of our great state and will bring new inclusive voices to the table.
Dr. Myers has the experience, the background, and the vision for success that Indiana deserves. I hope that you will join me in supporting him as he takes our fight into the November election.
To each of you who contributed to this campaign, who signed a petition to put us on the ballot, and who shared our message with a friend – a sincere and heartfelt thank you. I am so incredibly humbled by this experience and the conversations I’ve had with all the Hoosiers I’ve met in the last six months. And after this experience, I am even more committed to fighting for a better Indiana, including supporting more paths for new and diverse candidates to share their voice and win elections in our state.
In the meantime, I simply want to say thank you. We could not have done this without you. I am incredibly grateful for your support these last six months.
The Myers camp released the following statement…
“Over the past several months, like thousands of Hoosiers, I have been impressed by Josh Owens and his campaign for Governor. His vision and passion for Indiana has been seen around this great state. I’m humbled and honored by his decision to withdraw from the race so that we can all focus on bringing new leadership to the Governor’s office to create solutions to benefit every Hoosier this November.
I look forward to working with him to bring access to affordable health care, high-quality education and good-paying jobs to Hoosiers throughout Indiana.”
This story will be updated.
