Normally when a candidate pulls his or her name from the race, we think of it as a bad thing. We say that because often when a candidate drops out it takes the choice out of the hands of the voters.

But one such withdrawal this week is actually one of those &uot;win-win&uot; situations.

Independent JoeAnne Hicks announced Sunday that she would not run against Democrat Donnie Holloway for the office of city clerk and, in this case, the city of Natchez won’t lose a thing.

Both candidates possess lots of qualifications and it would have undoubtedly been a tough call for voters to choose between the two.

Hicks is capable, knowledgeable and has all the benefits of having worked in the office for several years. Holloway is also capable and experienced in dealing with financial matters.

And ultimately had the race continued, the city would have only gained the experience and knowledge of one of the two. Hicks may not have continued working in the office had she lost the election.

Now we get both.

Since Hicks already works in the city clerk’s office, the citizens of Natchez won’t lose her vast experience just because of a political race.

Now, we hope, the two of them can work together as a team and keep the city in the good financial graces that outgoing city clerk, Frances Trosclair, has begun.

The future of Natchez depends in a large part on how we manage the funds we have. And it looks like we’ve got the A-team ready to lead way.