Openly gay state Rep. Brian Sims (D-182nd Dist.) has dropped out of the Second District Congressional race.
Sims’ campaign sent out an email shortly before Tuesday’s 5 p.m. deadline for filing nomination petitions, which he did not submit.
According to the State Department candidate database, nomination petitions for the Second District Congressional seat were submitted by incumbent Chaka Fattah and challengers Dwight Evans, Daniel Muroff and Brian Anthony Gordon. Sims announced last year he would challenge the embattled Fattah.
A spokesperson for Sims did not respond to a request for comment.
His campaign email said this was “not an easy decision,” but expressed gratitude for his supporters’ assistance.
“When I started this campaign it was because I felt Philadelphians deserved an advocate in Congress, someone who would focus on equality for all Americans, creating more and better jobs and ending the culture of gun violence in our streets,” he said, going on to throw his support behind Evans.
Sims, the first out LGBT person elected to the Pennsylvania state legislature, was also running to retain his House seat.
He filed the nomination petitions for that race Feb. 12. Sims is being challenged by Ben Waxman, Lou Lanni and Marni Jo Snyder.