A candidate who was running for Ward 5 city councilman has dropped out.

Robert Raymond, a Republican, told The Dispatch on Tuesday he is withdrawing from the race. He decided not to run after he listened to fellow Republican candidate Mary Beth Jeter speak at a Tuesday luncheon for Lowndes County Republican Women.

“She seemed very qualified and capable of doing it, and I just figured that there was no point in muddying the water,” Raymond said.

That leaves Jeter as the lone Republican in the Ward 5 race. Democrats Cequelia Clark, Sedrick Fenster and Gregory “Gary” Jefferson will face each other in their party primary April 1. The winner will face Jeter in the general election June 3.

Raymond, 70, is a French instructor at Mississippi University for Women. He also is affiliated with A Better Columbus, a conservative-leaning local nonprofit that has openly criticized the city government’s competency and fiscal responsibility. He is listed as the organization’s contact person on its website.

While being the only Republican candidate in the race can be a bit daunting, Jeter said she plans to continue working to meet people in the city until the general election.

“I’m not from the area originally,” Jeter told The Dispatch Tuesday. “My family didn’t help start Columbus like some people… so a lot of people don’t know who I am. So I’m just going to continue to try to network and try to get out in the public and try to tell people what I’m about.”