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A state school board candidate who successfully sued to get on the ballot has decided to withdraw from the race.
Breck England said he has been impressed by candidate Mark Bouchard and believes "he is better positioned than I am to make a profound difference" for Utah children.
"As a result, I've decided to withdraw my candidacy for the Utah State School Board and endorse Mark," England said in a statement Tuesday. "I hope all who would have supported me will support him."
U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups ruled in September that the state's candidate selection process was unconstitutional, and he ordered the names of previously-rejected candidates England and Pat Rusk be placed on the ballot. The judge later added Utah County candidate Joel D. Wright, who had petitioned the court.
Originally, about 70 Utahns filed to run for seven seats on the 15-member board that oversees the state's education system. A committee appointed by the governor narrowed the field to 37, interviewed them and passed on three candidates for each of the open seats.
Gov. Gary Herbert picked 14 to appear on the ballot, including Bouchard, senior managing director at CBRE Inc., for District 5 in Davis County. He faces Laura Collier Belnap, director of Utah Online Schools.
Waddoups declared that process violates free speech guarantees of the Constitution.
"I'm grateful to all who supported my effort to overturn an unfair and unconstitutional system for 'handpicking' candidates for the School Board," England added in his statement. "I feel like it was a win for all the people of Utah."