House GOP hopeful Chris Taylor ends campaign after heroin overdose

An Arizona Republican running to unseat an incumbent Democrat in the House of Representatives has suspended his campaign after suffering a drug overdose.

Chris Taylor, an Army veteran currently serving as City Councilman in Safford, Arizona, announced Monday that he would be dropping his Congressional bid after a heroin overdose last Wednesday.

“Today, I have suspended my campaign for the US House of Representatives and am seeking treatment for substance abuse disorder. I will fully cooperate with local authorities on any matters arising from my recent relapse and overdose,” Taylor said in a statement.

“I’m not going to hide from this. I’m not ashamed of what happened. I wish to sincerely apologize to the amazing people who have supported me. I don’t know what went wrong. I recently relapsed after having so many solid years in sobriety. I have to figure out where I went wrong.”

According to The Arizona Republic, which first reported the news, the married father of two had battled an opioid addiction since high school.

Taylor, 33, was seeking the Republican nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District, which is currently held by Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-Ariz.) who is serving in his second term.

Taylor, a combat veteran who served in Afghanistan, was one of three Republicans fighting for the party’s nomination.

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