Jordan No Longer a Candidate for City Council

Joseph Jordan has withdrawn from the race for Rockville City Council.

The civic activist and chairman of the said in a news release Tuesday that he would not seek one of four council seats. He has asked the city to remove his name from the ballot for the Nov. 8 city elections, the release said.

Jordan said that he had received support for his candidacy "from every corner of the city," but cited "personal reasons" for withdrawing.

Jordan is known as a frequent presence at City Council meetings, speaking out on open government issues and raising issues of incivility on the council and of council member's use of city media. He has been as the council has debated the course's future and .

Jordan served as 's campaign manager when Marcuccio unseated incumbent Mayor Susan Hoffmann in 2009.

As a candidate, Jordan sought to push a platform that focused on balancing growth and development to maintain the city's quality of life.

"In order to accomplish this, we need a council that respects one another, can work together, and will think of how their decisions affect the lives of Rockville’s residents," he said in the release announcing his withdrawal.

Jordan, , also stressed the importance of choosing a new city manager, a task that faces the incoming council.

"In our form of government, the [mayor and council] set policy, but it is the city manager and the entire city staff that keep the wheels of the city turning, that deliver the services we expect and that are there day in and day out to respond to and serve the needs of residents," he said in the release. "We need a city manager who can build the trust and respect of all city employees and who will work with the mayor and council in making their vision for Rockville a reality."

Jordan, who is retired from General Electric, lives with his wife Billie in New Mark Commons, where he served as president of the Board of Directors for eight years.