The democrat candidate for Morgan County commissioner has suspended his campaign.
Dr Michael Woods told the Jacksonville Journal Courier he is suspending his campaign. Woods told the paper he would continue to serve on the board through November 30th.
Woods has been answering questions about his status over the past several days, after it was found that he took a job as chair of the ag department for Fort Hays State University in Kansas in January.
Woods is about to return from China where he has been attending an agriculture conference. He is scheduled to be back this weekend.
Woods says he told the other two commissioners, chairman Mike Wankel and Donnie Woods, where he was going, and he would only be able to join the June 8th meeting if phone service was available in China. It did not work out.
Woods missed that meeting but had attended other meetings since January, mostly in person and at least once by phone.
Woods was appointed to replace Brad Zeller in 2024, and was the lone democrat on the board.
The decision virtually assures Greg Hacker will be elected to the board. Hacker is running as a republican.
If elected, Hacker would join the two other republicans on the board, reportedly the first county board without a democrat on it in more than 20 years.