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PROVO, Utah (AP) -- Two candidates have withdrawn from the mayor's race, making a primary contest unnecessary.
Jim Vein and Andrew Thompson withdrew their names Wednesday and endorsed Dave Bailey's effort to unseat incumbent Lewis Billings.
"The reason I put my hat in the ring is I thought I could pull some of the votes from Billings, but I was afraid I would pull them (from Bailey)," Vein said.
Thompson, known for his campaign to reintroduce the alternative Salt Lake City Weekly newspaper at the Provo Library, also "completely and wholeheartedly" endorsed Bailey.
The departure of Vein and Thompson creates a repeat of the hotly contested 2001 race, in which Billings defeated Bailey by just 365 votes.
(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
