District 3 race down to 3, McGrane, Shey, Potts; fourth candidate, Busch, suspends campaign

It's down to three candidates for the District 3 council seat, two current City Council members and Kathy Potts.

Cal Busch, a fourth candidate whose name will still appear on the Nov. 3 election ballot, on Friday said he was suspending his campaign

Busch, 52, of 1334 C St. SW, said he has too many bills and too much property loss from the June 2008 flood to focus on an election race.

In fact, he said he is set to lease out his own apartment at his four-plex on C Street SW because he needs the revenue. In the short term, he said he is headed out of town to work. He is a carpenter who works at nuclear power plants when they shut down for refueling.

Busch said he decided earlier to run for the District 3 seat – which leaps the Cedar River and includes the Oak Hill, Czech Village and Rompot neighborhoods hard hit by the flood – to draw attention to what he says is the slow pace of  City Hall's flood-recovery effort. He added he still feels the same way.

With Busch gone, left in the District 3 race are incumbent Jerry McGrane, 69, 1105 Eighth St. SE, a neighborhood leader; at-large council member Pat Shey, 50, 501 Knollwood Dr. SE, an attorney and business owner; and Kathy Potts, 50, 1118 First St. SW, a homemaker, community activist and former state legislative candidate.