Candidate Withdraws From Johns Creek Mayor's Race

JOHNS CREEK, GA -- A candidate who sought to unseat Johns Creek's first and only mayor in the Nov. 7 general municipal election has dropped out of the race. Alex Marchetti announced Tuesday evening that he is withdrawing his candidacy to defeat incumbent Michael Bodker.

Marchetti said "unexpected" personal and professional complications have come into his life, which will prevent him from effectively serving the city of Johns Creek. Marchetti formally made the announcement at a candidate forum held Oct. 17 at The Standard Club.

The announcement means Bodker will be elected to a fourth, four-year term to the post he's held since the city's incorporation in 2006 (SIGN UP: Get Patch's Daily Newsletter and Real Time News Alerts. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app).

Bodker told Patch he has "mixed feelings" about the candidate's announcement, adding that he hope everything its going well for Marchetti since it's never good to hear someone say they have to drop out of a race due to personal or professional reasons. The mayor said he's known Marchetti for many years.

"We agreed that we were going to run a race that will be issues-based," Bodker said, adding that agreement and each candidate's ability to follow through on that promise is a rare occurrence.

The mayor also said he hopes that this announcement won't drive voters away from the polls, as there are other contested races on the ballot for Johns Creek residents to consider.

Patch has reached out to Marchetti to get a more detailed explanation about the candidate's decision. Return for updates.

Photo: Alex Marchetti, left, addressing the audience at The Standard Club Tuesday in Johns Creek as Mayor Mike Bodker looks on. Credit: Fulton County Commissioner Liz Hausmann.