Townsend drops out of LD1 Senate race 

Prescott construction company owner Elise Townsend yesterday withdrew from the District 1 Senate race to replace Senate President Ken Bennett, citing business, family and personal reasons.
“I have a business — a young business that’s seven years old — and I have young children,” said the Republican, who announced her candidacy in January at a Capitol news conference. “I found that the campaign didn’t allow enough time for those two things.”
Ms. Townsend said “personal” rumors also caused her withdrawal from the primary race, which leaves Rep. Tom O’Halleran and William “Will” Stoll, a pastor and owner of a development company, contesting for the Republican nomination.
“I underestimated the personal things,” she said. “I was ready for a campaign with issues and facts, not of rumors and those types of things, and when it turned to that, it just was not worth it to me. It got very personal.”
Ms. Townsend would not discuss what rumors were circulating in the race.
Mr. Stoll says her withdrawal will help his campaign, which reportedly has momentum because he has visited as many as 7,000 homes in the district and has spent a lot of his own money.
“Obviously, since we’re running for the same office, it improves my chances, but right now, my heart goes out to Elise . . .” he said. “This is my first time running for political office. I know politics puts a strain on your family and on your business.”
Mr. Stoll said he as spent around $100,000 on the race. If elected, he said, he will support Sen. Robert Blendu to replace Mr. Bennett as Senate president.