Derrick Watson, candidate for Ferndale City Council position 5, announced via email tonight he has ended his campaign.
According to Watson, “I will be voting for Cathy Watson and I strongly urge that everyone else do so as well. When she is re-elected to council I want all of us to support her efforts to build a better Ferndale.”
Derrick explained his decision, “For some, this will not be a surprise. And though I truly appreciate the support of many and willingness of new friends to hear my story, I was not fully ready to be a candidate.”
There was visible discord between Cathy and Derrick during last Tuesday’s political forum. It happened when Cathy responded with “what he said isn’t true” when responding to Derrick’s statement toward a question about how the City can work with the Lummi Nation better. Derrick and Cathy then chatted between themselves off-microphone for a few moments while Councilmember Fred Kennedy began his statement.
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Click for more informationCathy later explained she was referring to Derrick’s assertion to coaching Lummi youth football. Cathy said he had been relieved of that position a few weeks prior when Lummi officials learned about a felony conviction in his background.
Derrick, in his email, acknowledge the discord. “Many unflattering things were said about me during the campaign. Sadly, some are true, some were not. As a result, the attention to my past became the focus of the campaign, not Ferndale’s future. My family and I love Ferndale and we haven’t changed our desire to see it become a better city.”
This leaves Cathy Watson, the incumbent for seat 5, in an uncontested race.
