City Council Candidate: "Please don't vote for me."

[matcom]

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BLAINE, Minn. --Vote for my opponent. Please. Paul Herold entered the primary for a City Council seat in this Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb, but then he landed a new job that he says wouldn't leave him enough time to do a decent job for his constituents.

He missed the deadline for removing his name from the ballot, so he wrote a letter to a local paper pleading for nonsupport. He even offered to drive friends and neighbors to the polls to vote for anyone but him.

"I tried my best not to get any votes," he said.

It didn't work. He came in second in the three-way race, advancing to the November ballot against incumbent Katherine Kolb.

Now he's urging people to vote for Kolb.

"Here are the only ways I can get off the ballot: A. I'd have to die; B. I'd have to move out of the district," he said.

If he were to win, he could refuse to serve. But that would force a special election that would cost the city $30,000 or more, and Herold said he doesn't want to do that.

"Unfortunately, once he's on the ballot, there's nothing we can do," said City Clerk Jane Cross.

http://www.boston.com/news/odd/articles/2006/10/04/candidates_plea_dont_vote_for_me?mode=PF