This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

CLAYTON, Mo. – Republican nominee for the St. Louis County Executive has again changed her mind and is now officially out of the race.

The chair of the St. Louis County Republican Party, Rene Artman said Katherine Pinner told her last week she thought it would be best that she get out of the race. This comes after an appearance at a young Republican event did not go well but Pinner said she was staying in.

On Friday, Pinner filed a request with the St. Louis courts to withdraw her candidacy.    

“She said for personal reasons, I wish her nothing but the best,” Artman said.

Pinner released this statement on her blog with the reasons she is dropping out of the race. 

“I have pulled out of the race for Saint Louis County Executive. The reasons are as follow: 

  • The exempt status, though feasible for the Primary Election, presents difficulty moving into the General Election. 
  • Items related to traditional campaigning and financing do not correspond to my core values. 
  • Personal items. 

I hope for a candidate who can hit the ground running with critical items currently facing the County.” 

The St. Louis County Board of Elections confirmed they received the court order and will officially follow the state statute and remove Pinners’ name off the ballot.

The GOP or Republican Party said Shamed Dogan who ran against Pinner in the primary can not run again in the general election. 

“There is a such thing in the State of Missouri as ‘Sore loser law,'” Artman said. “He was in the primary and he is not able to run for the same office.” 

Now, the GOP must try and quickly find a replacement.

“We will call a meeting for the Central Committee. We will interview people,” Artman said. “If you want to run for County Executive, please send in your resume. We will review the information and go into close session and we will vote.”

Richard Callow, a spokesperson for St. Louis County Executive Sam Page’s campaign released the following statement:

“It’s too bad Ms. Pinner, who easily won her primary, found only roadblocks and booby traps on the campaign trail. Apparently, Republican leaders are happier picking their candidate out of a hat than abiding by a primary election. It will be quite a week as horses get traded and backs get stabbed.” 

Callow also comments: “We’ll leave a blank on the campaign mail and fill it in if they settle on a new candidate who actually stays in the race.”