Cawood Drops Out of Race.

Former County Commission appointee Sharon Cawood says she will not be running for Commission in the February primary, but would like to be considered for the appointment until the August election settles the matter for good.

Cawood says she's been thinking about dropping out of the race for a while now, but only came to the decision today (Tuesday). She's also been thinking that caretakers should be included among the appointees.

She cites several reasons for her decision to drop out: 1) she doesn't want to be caught up in the continuing controversy of the process; 2) she has a new job that, for now, requires a lot of her attention; and 3) the tremendous amount of money (perhaps twice as much as a regular election) she believes it will take to run this time out.

Cawood - who replaced her husband Mark - was appointed to 6th District, Seat A - by Commission in the now infamous January 31 meeting. She had been considered a frontrunner for the February primary.

"By dropping out, it'll give a level playing field for the others in the race," she said.

We asked her why she wants the appointment?

"I think, despite the process, I did a pretty good job representing the 6th District during my time on Commission. If I'm re-apppointed, I'll do a great job for them again. I'll be there for the residents of the 6th. If they need me, just call," she said.

Cawood says she has not ruled out an eventual run for Commission, maybe in two years, but for now she says she'll stay active in the community.

"I feel pretty good about my decision," she said.