Robin Wilt has withrawn from the 136th district Assembly Race.
One of the four Democrats in that race, Wilt, who is a member of the Brighton Town Board, says she is withdrawing from that contest to focus on race relations and other issues in Brighton.
This happened during a week when an African American Brighton School Student posted a video complaining of racism in the school district, and Wilt also expressed concerns about those issues in the town. That student, Keniyah Vickers, is the daughter of Wynette Vickers, who was Wilt's campaign manager for the Assembly race.
Wilt says she wants to stay on the town board, to focus on her responsibilities in Brighton.
“As the lone black woman and the lone person of color on the Brighton town board, I cannot, in good conscience, leave my position. I cannot in good conscience abandon Brighton in what may well be one of its most pointed times of need and racial discord," Wilt said at a Friday news conference in Brighton.
She said that, "It is more important than I remain committed to leading Brighton to a better future, where all community members feel welcomed and safe. To a future where I never again have to listen to a young woman recount the harm she suffers from racism at school."
Wilt also was facing a possible legal challenge from another candidate, Jamie Romeo, about whether Wilt had met residency requirements to run for the Assembly seat.
She maintains she has met those standards. Also running for the seat are Democrats Jaclyn Richard and Todd Grady. It is the seat that will be open after this year because Assembly Majority Leader Joe Morelle is running for Congress.
Wilt also ran in a June Democratic primary for the 25th Congressional District, a contest that was won by Morelle.
Racial issues raised recently in Brighton were addressed earlier on Friday in a news conference led by Town Supervisor Bill Moehle.
