The mayoral race in Quinte West has been reduced to two candidates.
Dennis Flintoff officially withdrew his name through a Withdrawal of Nomination form to the city clerk on Thursday.
In an email to the clerk that Quinte News also received on Thursday, Flintoff said he was withdrawing due to what he described as being the subject of allegations regarding his character, linking a post to a Facebook community group.
He said he felt that the public accusations “damaged my reputation, distracted me from the issues I was campaigning on, and contributed to an environment where meaningful discussion about Quinte West’s future became increasingly difficult.”
“While I fully accept that candidates must be prepared to face scrutiny, disagreement, and criticism, I believe there is a significant distinction between debating policies and making personal allegations about an individual’s character,” Flintoff said in his email to the clerk.
“Elections should be decided on ideas, qualifications, leadership, and vision for the community, not on personal attacks.”
Flintoff’s withdrawal from the race for mayor of Quinte West has now led to two candidates vying for the seat.
Those candidates are current city councillors Zack Card and Shelley Stedall.
In his email, Flintoff endorsed Shelley Stedall for mayor.
You can read the full email below:
Further to our discussion, I am writing to formally advise that I have decided to withdraw my candidacy for Mayor of Quinte West.
This decision has not been made lightly. I entered this election because I believed Quinte West needed stronger fiscal accountability, responsible infrastructure planning, greater transparency, and a renewed focus on core municipal services.
During the course of this campaign, I was publicly referred to as a “stalker” and became the subject of allegations circulated on social media during the election period. The tone of those comments was accusatory and adversarial rather than neutral. The public post alleged that a mayoral candidate had issued a threat and referenced alleged online harassment, inviting readers to view the interaction through that lens before reviewing the actual message exchange themselves.
I believe these public accusations damaged my reputation, distracted me from the issues I was campaigning on, and contributed to an environment where meaningful discussion about Quinte West’s future became increasingly difficult.
While I fully accept that candidates must be prepared to face scrutiny, disagreement, and criticism, I believe there is a significant distinction between debating policies and making personal allegations about an individual’s character. Elections should be decided on ideas, qualifications, leadership, and vision for the community, not on personal attacks.
The timing and nature of these events contributed significantly to my decision to withdraw from the race. Regardless of intent, when one candidate’s reputation is publicly challenged during an election campaign, the remaining candidates may benefit from that circumstance. That reality is unavoidable and forms part of the context surrounding my decision.
I would like to sincerely thank the many residents who supported my campaign, shared my concerns, offered encouragement, and believed in the issues I was raising. Your support, advice, and confidence have meant more than you know.
After reviewing the candidates and their priorities, I believe Shelly Stedall’s extensive municipal finance background, experience in local government administration, and commitment to responsible financial management most closely align with the principles that formed the foundation of my campaign. Therefore I ask those who supported my campaign to consider putting their support behind Shelly Stedall.
I believe Shelly deserves serious consideration, and I encourage everyone who believes in the principles behind my campaign to take a close look at her platform and decide for themselves who they believe is best prepared to lead Quinte West.
Although I am withdrawing from the mayoral race, I am not withdrawing my concerns about the future of Quinte West.
I will continue to speak up for responsible spending, infrastructure and core services, transparency, accountability, and taxpayers.
My commitment to Quinte West remains unchanged. While my candidacy is ending, my advocacy for sound municipal government, financial responsibility, and public accountability will continue.
Thank you to everyone who stood with me. Your support has meant more than you know.
Respectfully,
Dennis Flintoff
Former Candidate for Mayor
Quinte West
