Michael Carn, who is currently serving as vice mayor of Oakland Park, has dropped out of the January 2022 special election for Florida House Seat 94.

In an announcement shared to Facebook Sunday, Carn explained that in order to stay in the election, he would have to resign from the Oakland Park City Commission one day after being sworn in as the city’s mayor. Oakland Park’s commissioners rotate their mayors each year; Mayor Jane Bolin will be stepping down from her seat.

“Completing this Current Season of Service honors and reimburses the gracious endowments of love, encouragement, and guidance from my village and the Oakland Park electorate,” Carn said in a statement. “I owe them this.”

Carn has not completely stepped out of the race, though — he plans to return in August 2022 for House Seat 94 and asked the public to continue with their support of his run for the Florida House of Representatives.

In October, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order for a special election to be held Jan. 11, 2022 due to a vacancy for House Seats 8 and 94. In the case of House Seat 94, Rep. Bobby B. DuBose resigned in his efforts for a seat in the U.S. Congress. The executive order came after Elijah Manley, a candidate for the seat, sued the governor for delaying the election process and leaving residents in the district unrepresented in Tallahassee.

In May, Carn, Manley and Roderick Kemp sent a letter to DuBose calling for his resignation after he announced his run for Congress District 20.

The current candidates for House 94 are Daryl Campbell, Josephus Eggelletion III and Manley. All three are running as Democrats.

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