Perry Woodward Drops Out of Mayoral Race

City of Gilroy Councilman Perry Woodward announced Thursday that he's dropping out of the mayoral race, and will be seeking re-election to the city council instead.

"As of this morning, I have decided to run for re-election as a council member this fall, instead of seeking the mayor’s seat," Woodward wrote in an email.

Woodward also stated he's endorsing Republican mayoral candidate Don Gage, who served as mayor of Gilroy from 1991 to 1997, according to a San Jose Mercury News article.

Gage currently sits on the board of the Santa Clara Valley Water District— a seat he'd relinquish if elected mayor—and is apparently a favored candidate among some Gilroyans.

"At whatever level, Gage has wielded influence because he can proclaim himself a fiscal conservative while being willing to compromise to sustain services," Mercury News Columnist Scott Herhold wrote. "It would be hard to imagine a tea party candidate taking him on."

Woodward's interest in running for mayor of 2010. His term with the city council expires in November, and a loss at the mayoral seat could have pushed him out of the local political scene until the next election, a source close to the mayoral race said.

Aside from Gage, contenders for the mayor's seat include Republican Dion Bracco and Democrat Peter Arellano, who .