A candidate in the only contested Langley City Council race has withdrawn.

Eric Levine quietly backed out of the running July 30, according to the Island County Auditor’s Office’s website. Levine confirmed the move in an interview with The Record late Friday after the paper went to press. He declined to go into detail about his decision.

“For now, it’s for personal reasons,” he said.

Levine has been a vocal champion for a funicular, a transportation device proposed to shuttle people from Cascade Avenue down the bluff to the marina, or South Whidbey Harbor.

His withdrawal was only learned of when a newspaper reporter bumped into him at the grocery store. Even his challenger, Ursula Shoudy, was caught unaware that she was the only one left in the race.

“I was surprised when I found he withdrew,” she said.

Shoudy heard the news Monday. She said she and Levine had spoken early on and agreed to a positive race; he would have been good city councilman had he continued on and been elected, she added.

“I don’t think it would have been bad either way,” Shoudy said.

Shoudy will fill Position 3, which is currently held by Jim Sundberg. He is not running for reelection.