Kirsten Naito announced Thursday that she’s dropping out of the race for Multnomah county district attorney.
Naito is currently an assistant attorney general with the Oregon Department of Justice. She was the only female candidate in the Multnomah County DA race.
Naito said in a press release it’s not the right time for her to seek public office and that she wants to focus on her family, including her wife and child.
“Balancing the demands of parenting a toddler, a job serving the people of Oregon, and doing everything needed to raise funds, seek endorsements, and be the kind of candidate I want to be was unsustainable,” Naito said in a statement, “and my family and our health and well-being have to take priority.”
Naito’s campaign has brought in a total of almost $100,000 in donations, including large contributions from her family members. That’s a comparable amount to her competitors Mike Schmidt and Ethan Knight. Schmidt has raised almost $110,000 and Knight has raised more than $95,000.
If elected, Naito would have been the first woman and LGBTQ person to serve in the position.
“I regret that the wait will continue to bring diversity and needed perspective to this office,” Naito said in her statement.
“While I will not be a candidate this year, I will continue to fight and advocate for the communities I serve and represent, and the needed reforms and policies that must be enacted to make our criminal justice system fair and equitable for all.”