Jay Ryder has dropped out of the race for town clerk due to health issues, it was announced at Thursday night's Candidates Night event.

The town clerk race between Ryder and incumbent Ray Pickles was the only other contested race in the election besides the selectman race.

This would have been the first time Pickles would face competition since he was originally elected as town clerk in 2007. Ryder is a former member of the Planning Board and had decided at the time that he was ready to get back into town government.

At that time that he pulled nomination papers, Ryder had noted that it was time for "fresh blood". "Ray Pickles is a friend of mine, but he’s been in there for eleven years,” he explained.

The election will be hold on Friday, May 12. Polls are open 8 a.m - 8 p.m. at the Benjamin D. Cushing Community Center, formerly known as the VFW.