BY IRIS B. HOLTON
Sentinel City Editor
Last week, a former Tampa police captain was optimistic about his bid for the City of Tampa Mayor’s Office. However, recently, he decided to withdraw is name as a candidate.
In a written press release, Marion Lewis said, “Effective immediately, I regretfully withdraw my candidacy from the 2011 Mayoral Elections for the City of Tampa. I filed my intention to run for Mayor in March 2009, in order to get an early start on other potential candidates.
“I was hopeful that the pending litigation from February 2007 involving the City of Tampa and I would have been resolved long before now,” he said.
Lewis further stated, “This very emotional and expensive litigation is still going before the 2nd District of Appeals. In order to mount a successful campaign for the Office of Mayor, it will take my undivided attention and all my available resources.”
In 2007, Lewis was a Captain with the Tampa Police Department when he decided to launch a campaign for the office. He said before filing for the office, he had contacted the state elections office and was told he did not have to resign his job to seek the office. However, Lewis alleges that after filing for the office, he was forced into retirement. “I was ousted from position on the Tampa Police Department.”
Lewis filed a lawsuit and Judge Marva Crenshaw ruled in his favor. The City of Tampa appealed [private]the judge’s decision and Lewis filed an appeal with the Second District Court of Appeals. That ruling resulted in a split decision with the courts handing it back to the lower courts.
Lewis said they amended their lawsuit and appealed the lower court’s decision on September 29, 2010. Now, they are waiting for a ruling from the Second District Court. At issue is whether the City of Tampa had the authority to oust him from his job.
“The 27 years I served as a law enforcement officer serving the Tampa community were the best times of my professional career, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve the Tampa community in the future in some public service capacity,” he said.
The six remaining mayoral candidates, two of which are African American, are Bob Buckhorn, Rose Ferlita, Dick Greco, Arthur Richardson, III, Rev. Thomas Scott, and Ed Turanchik.
The election will take place on March 1, 2011. [/private]
