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Former Asbury Park Councilman Jim Keady has withdrawn as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 4th Congressional District to run against Republican incumbent Christopher Smith.

Prompting his withdrawal was an email he sent to nine women active in the Democratic Party last month. Keady accused four of them of participating in rumor-mongering about his personal life — the other five he copied for their information — but the candidate faced a harsh response to the communication, which included personal information about individuals and personal communications.

The controversy exploded on Monday night when several attendees at a candidates forum in Belmar stopped the proceedings to protest and demand Keady’s withdrawal.

The following is Keady’s Facebook post today withdrawing from the race:

ENDING MY CAMPAIGN FOR THE CD4 DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION
Today I am ending my campaign for the Democratic nomination for Congress in NJ’s 4th District. 

I want to apologize to my supporters, my friends, and the people who I have hurt in recent days. I want to specifically and sincerely apologize to Ms. Kate Triggiano, Ms. Robyn Gedrich, Ms. Tracey Buckley, and Ms. Robin Nowicki. The tone and tenor of the email I sent to you on December 11, 2019 was wrong, and the sharing of our private communications was a terrible error in judgment. I also want to apologize to Ms. Jennifer Fluharty, Ms. Liz DeBeer, Ms. Susan Boyce, Ms. Anna Marta Visky, and Ms. Marianne Clemente for copying you on the email. You did not deserve to be dragged into this, and I am sorry for the pain and inconvenience it has caused you. 

For those reading this who may be unsure of what is going on, I made a horrible mistake by sending the aforementioned email in response to rumors about my personal life that I learned were being circulated. Responding the way that I did was foolish and unworthy of the community I have sought to serve. I allowed my anger, my pain and my ego to get the best of me. I am deeply sorry and ashamed of my actions. 

I am listening to the women I have hurt, and to the women I have lost as friends over this. And I am also listening to the women who still support me. To the women I hurt with that email, again, I am sorry. I have ideas as to how I can make amends for this mistake, and I welcome suggestions to this end. I also apologize to the supporters and friends who I have lost and disappointed. And to those who continue to support me, I appreciate your support, but I have to own up to this mistake. I am sorry for letting you down. 

For those who have made contributions to my campaign, my plan is to donate the money equally to the Women’s March, 180-Turning Lives Around, and the Sunrise Movement. If you were a donor and have an issue with this, please contact me and we can make arrangements for a refund. 

I wish all the candidates luck as they continue their campaigns. This nation needs their drive, dedication and talents now more than ever. 

Peace, JWK

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