My Name Is Peter Spear, and This Is Why I Ended My Campaign for Mayor of Hudson

Until Wednesday, I was an independent candidate in this year's Hudson mayoral election.

I entered the race because I love Hudson and I think we desperately need change in City Hall. I withdrew from the race for the same reasons.

Over the last few weeks, it became clear that my candidacy might split the vote for change, and that the best way to achieve change was to throw my support, and hopefully my supporters, behind Joe Ferris in his effort to unseat Mayor Johnson. 

I don't regret running, or for ending my campaign, which had nothing to do with the criticism I received during it. I wouldn't have run if I was not prepared for it.

More important, we have real problems in Hudson - housing, affordability, budget, schools, etc. - and we have not solved them, and will not solve them with Mayor Johnson, or his type of politics.

Up to the very end of my campaign, Johnson made clear that he would seize on anything to avoid talking about his record, and the serious ethical questions around it. 

I'm speaking here of his move into housing provided by Galvan—the city's largest developer—without disclosing the details of that arrangement, then using his office to lobby the Common Council for Galvan's Depot District development.

The mayor supported Galvan’s effort to secure over $6 million dollars in tax breaks to build "affordable housing", which Galvan used to build luxury apartments, almost exclusively. 

Yet, he still calls himself the "housing mayor" and he still defends the project and the company.  

The real tragedy of all of this is the wasted opportunity - money intended for the people who need it most, going instead to a billionaire developer. 

I know that my neighbors love Hudson too, want to do the work of repair and address inequity in our community. This is what I thought I had voted for when I first voted for Mayor Johnson, but I've been proven wrong.

This year will be the first time I will not be voting for Kamal Johnson.

I will be voting for Joe Ferris.

Please join me.