MATTAPOISETT — Selectman candidate Kevin Ducharme has dropped out of the race with an email to Town Clerk Catherine Heuberger, he told Sippican Week on March 31.

He said that the coronavirus outbreak was particularly difficult given his campaign style, which was very door-to-door.

He was running for selectman for the first time, and built his platform on finding non tax-based revenue sources to prevent taxes from going up and maintaining the town’s natural resources.

“My campaign was structured on the most basic grassroots campaign style. I started knocking on every door in town, introducing myself to our neighbors, while discussing their concerns and what they feel is important here in our community,” Ducharme explained. 

However, after  the threat of contracting the virus became evident he couldn’t justify the risk to himself or others.

“If I had been a carrier for the virus, I could’ve infected each home I visited or been infected myself,” Ducharme said. “My health, and the health of our community is most important to me.”

He wrote that he plans to run again for the position in the future.

Former selectman Tyler Macallister and John DeCosta are still vying for the position. Macallister resigned as selectman in September to run for Town Administrator, but when he was not chosen for that role, he decided to run again.

DeCosta was a Mattapoisett firefighter for 17 years, served on the Community Preservation Committee for 12 years, was on the Capital Planning Committee for 12 years, and was the co-chair of the Open Space and Recreation for two years. Most recently, he was on the Town Administrator Screening Committee.

The current selectmen will hear recommendations from Heuberger on April 1 and decide whether the town’s May 19 Town Election will be postponed due to coronavirus concerns.