Chris Gibson withdrew from the District 5 supervisors race on Thursday, narrowing the field to two.

Gibson, a Natchez firefighter, was the only Republican qualifier for the Nov. 2 general election.

Other candidates on the ballot include Democratic nominee Lynwood Easterling and independent Eddie Jones.

Gibson said in a statement that his decision was based in large part on the tone of the election to date.

&uot;In March of this year I qualified to run for supervisor in District 5. I did this because of a deep personal desire to help make my county a better place to live, work and play. I believed then and continue to believe now that I have the ability to communicate and work with all the citizens of District 5 so as to form a cohesive base from which we all could prosper. I believe government should be open to any and all ideas and suggestions,&uot; he wrote in the statement.

&uot;As this campaign has progressed I&160;have become very disillusioned about how all the sides involved have acted and reacted. I feel that the major issues of jobs, education, unity and progress have taken a back seat to the old standby red herring of race. I personally do not want to be a part of that type of campaign. It is with that background and understanding that I feel compelled to withdraw my name from consideration of supervisor of District 5 at this time. I look forward to four years from now when I may try again to address the real issues that face us as a district, county and a people. Thanks to all of you who have voiced support for my candidacy during the last six months and I look forward to working with you in the future.&uot;