Poshepny withdraws from aldermanic race
Physical rehabilitation program takes priority over campaign
New Berlin — Saying that he wants to concentrate on his physical rehabilitation, 5th District Alderman Joseph Poshepny today withdrew as a candidate for re-election in the spring election.
He will continue filling the duties of alderman until his term expires in April, he wrote in his letter of withdrawal.
It is too late, however, to remove his name from the Feb. 16 primary election ballot. Poshepny had been one of three candidates running for the 5th District seat. Also running are Jake Krueger and Deena Liska.
Poshepny is recovering from a serious illness that kept him from attending Common Council and other city meetings from mid-May until fall. Because of his illness, he resigned and then withdrew his resignation. The council reinstated him in January after Poshepny filed a lawsuit to reclaim his seat. He has dropped the lawsuit.
Poshepny said he withdrew his candidacy because he was accepted into a much larger and more rigorous physical rehabilitation program than he had planned.
"I'm very, very lucky to get into this program, and it will need a lot of concentration for at least the first year," he said. "I was awfully sick, I just need this."
Poshepny said that he nearly died three times during the course of the illness.
Asked how he thought his constituents might view his on-again, off-again candidacy, Poshepny said, "I hope they don't hold this against me, this whole thing came about in such a hurry."
"The opportunity presented itself and I guess I feel I owe something to myself," he said. "If I didn't have this new program coming, I would run because I feel good."
Although he expects to start the more rigorous therapy program in a couple of weeks, he foresees no problem in also serving out his aldermanic term. But serving and campaigning would have been a problem, he said.
But more than that, Poshepny said he does not want any unforeseen problems with his rehabilitation to get in the way of the 5th District getting adequate representation.
"I do not want to leave the 5th in that area again," he said. "And there are two good candidates running.
"I still love New Berlin," Poshepny said. "And I'll be there to help as much as I can."
He said he hopes to work on and off the Common Council to address some concerns, especially those of senior citizens.
- Jane Ford-Stewart
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