It's still too early to even file for candidacy in next year's city elections, but that hasn't stopped incumbent cash-hoarding or challengers from sharpening their knives.

Now, a new development: Concordia University instructor Nick Caleb—who'd been raising cash for a run at City Commissioner Steve Novick—says he's thought better of his candidacy. The decision came to him, he says, on a trip abroad he's still in the midst of.

"After some intense soul searching and reflection, I came to the conclusion that working two part-time jobs and running for city council will create a level of stress that I won't be able to manage during this time in my life without serious consequences to my mental health," Caleb wrote on his nascent campaign's Facebook page this morning. "Though it pains me to do so, I must exit the race for city council."

Looming large in the decision, Caleb says, is his father's death in January. Ed Caleb was Klamath County's former district attorney, and, in announcing his candidacy, Caleb said his father's passing had made him think more deeply about public service. He now says he "didn't get a chance to adequately mourn."

An activist for progressive and environmental causes, Caleb made a last-minute decision last year to run against Commissioner Dan Saltzman in the primary election. The late announcement, in March, left barely any time to mount a campaign against the city's most entrenched politician, and Saltzman won handily. But Caleb succeeded in setting a tone for the race. His calls for a $15 minimum wage forced Saltzman to take a public stance supporting the idea—one he's held to in office.

Caleb seemed primed to make a similar case in the race against Novick—though he'd have been competing for many of the same progressive votes in doing so. His departure means Novick's not currently facing any certain opponents next year, though there are at least two other people eyeing the race.

Caleb's announcement this morning is largely a call for like-minded candidates to take up the same fight in a year when three of five city council seats are up for grabs (Mayor Charlie Hales and Commissioner Amanda Fritz will also defend their jobs in May). He's clearly disappointed that that seems to be a hard sell.

"I had originally hoped to be one of many, perhaps even a slate of candidates running for the open positions in Portland City Council this year," he writes. "I see a majority of council positions up for grabs and the potential for coherent populist platform shared by three candidates to win and shape policy for the next four years. My efforts to persuade people of this opportunity failed miserably and this definitely contributes to my decision to withdraw."

Read the full statement after the jump.

Friends,

As many of you know, my father passed away earlier this year after suffering from Lewy-Body Dementia and Alzheimer's. Dealing with this enormous life event has been very difficult for me, despite the fact that I have been highly active in past months. Because I didn't get a chance to adequately mourn his passing earlier this year, I planned a trip abroad so that I would have the space to reflect on his life and my own.

After some intense soul searching and reflection, I came to the conclusion that working two part-time jobs and running for city council will create a level of stress that I won't be able to manage during this time in my life without serious consequences to my mental health. Though it pains me to do so, I must exit the race for city council.

The most difficult part of the decision is the near lack of candidates with the passion and creativity to fight for those in our community who suffer the most and are hit hardest by the housing crisis ravaging the city. Before one of the most crucial elections in Portland history for setting a path for the future of the city, there is a surprising absence of trusted voices stepping up to ensure the right of all Portlanders to decide the future of this city.

I had originally hoped to be one of many, perhaps even a slate of candidates running for the open positions in Portland City Council this year. I see a majority of council positions up for grabs and the potential for coherent populist platform shared by three candidates to win and shape policy for the next four years. My efforts to persuade people of this opportunity failed miserably and this definitely contributes to my decision to withdraw.

However, there is still time for Portlanders of good conscience to run for local government with a vision that can counter the lofty-rhetoric-lots-of-planning-but-little-meaningful-action dynamic that, for me, characterizes Portland City Council. There is a strong populist energy in Portland right now and one way it can find expression is through independent candidates who come from and will fight for low-income, working class, and precarious residents. There are far too many talented and visionary Portlanders for this void to persist for long.

For my part, I will stay involved in politics and activism in a slightly less visible capacity. Like many Portland residents, I am affected by the huge cost of living increases in this city and staying out of politics is simply not a realistic option. We need leaders who will step outside of the existing paradigm and think creatively with an eye toward people over profit. It won't be my name in the voter pamphlet in 2016, but I am hopeful that others will take up the mantle so that I can help them to succeed.

Thank you to everyone for the tremendous support and I'll see you at the barricades,

— Nick