EL DORADO, Ark. - Citing a family health concern, Josh Mahony on Tuesday abruptly ended his campaign for Arkansas' Democratic nomination to take on U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton in 2020.
"Mahony will no longer be able to devote the time and energy that is necessary to run a viable campaign. The campaign will cease operations immediately and Mr. Mahony asks for privacy during this time," read a statement he posted Tuesday afternoon on Twitter.
"I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to all of those who have supported me during this race. It has been the honor of my life to be able to meet and visit with so many Arkansans over the last six months and hear their voices. It was my sincere hope to be their advocate in Washington, DC. However, in this moment right now, I need to focus on my family and place their interests first," Mahony stated.
Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to file to participate in Arkansas' primary elections, which take place in March 2020.
Mahony launched his campaign in July on an "Arkansas first" theme, immediately attacking Cotton, the Republican incumbent, with a video titled "Terrible Tom Cotton."
Mahony is a fifth-generation native Arkansan born on a farm in El Dorado, and he owns a natural resources company, according to his campaign website. He is the founder of the New Leaders Council, Arkansas Chapter, which "looks to recruit and train progressive millennial leaders that will one day be the next candidates, political entrepreneurs and non-profit leaders of Arkansas."
In 2018, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Arkansas' 3rd Congressional District and lost to incumbent Republican Steve Womack by more than 30 percentage points.