On Tuesday, the day voting started in Ohio, Independent candidate for sheriff Chris Forshey withdrew from the Washington County ballot, leaving it a one-man race.
We think in doing so, after months of heated debates, accusations and campaigning, he broke his commitment to Washington County residents.
We've used this space before to criticize public office holders who've left before their terms were completed, often to take a job in the private sector.
This doesn't feel very different.
Forshey wasn't a public official but he had told voters he was dedicated to the job and to the area and waged a very public battle of words against the current sheriff.
He ran on the platform that the current administration in the sheriff's office had substantial issues and wasn't serving the county well. If he truly felt that was the case, he should have felt an obligation to see his run for office through to the end.
The contested campaign took up a lot of time and resources that would have ultimately been better spent elsewhere if Forshey wasn't going to remain on the ballot.
He cites the needs of his family as a reason for taking another job, but why not wait until after Nov. 6 to start a search, if one would have been necessary?
Forshey's choice to apply for another job with so little time left until election day leads to a lot of questions.
Did he feel he would lose? Was there a personal circumstance that meant he needed another job immediately? If he had been elected, would he have fulfilled his term?
No matter what the answers, running for or accepting an elected position comes with a lot of responsibility and should be treated accordingly.
By bailing out, Forshey chose not to treat it that way.
However, by doing so he may have ultimately made the best choice for the county's voters, who shouldn't have someone in office unwilling to honor his commitments and his promise to serve.
