Central Minnesota city council candidate withdraws from race, cites online bullying [View all]

BRAINERD, Minn. — Brainerd City Council candidate Christopher Mathison announced Friday, Oct. 5, his decision to pull out of the city council race.

Mathison, who was running against council member Sue Hilgart for the city council at-large seat, cited in an email Friday morning defamation, bullying and threats made toward him as his reasons for leaving the race.

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In follow-up emails, Mathison said the negative remarks and threats came from Facebook posts Friday morning. He said he blocked some of the people's accounts posting the comments but believed some of the posts had since been taken down. He did not identify who the posts came from.

Mathison said many of the comments published on Facebook referred to his mental health and belittled him and his family. It began Friday morning, when photos of Mathison's entry in the Brainerd Dispatch 2018 Voter's Guide were shared on multiple Facebook pages, according to Mathison. He said the photos were accompanied by comments critical of his use of social services for his disability, bipolar disorder.

Read more: http://www.wctrib.com/news/government-and-politics/4509886-central-minnesota-city-council-candidate-withdraws-race-cites