Pete Ruggieri Suspends Mayoral Campaign

Jan. 18, 2013 - PRLog -- Friends and Lancastrians I am sad to say that I am putting a pause on my desire to become your next Mayor of Lancaster. Several factors have come into play in the past year that have lead me to this decision, but the greatest one is having been diagnosed with metastatic thyroid cancer this past Summer.

First -- I feel fine and the prognosis is optimistic. In fact if the doctors didn't tell me that I was sick I wouldn't know it. But it is the uncertainty of my treatment over the next year that is leading me to this suspension of the campaign. My treatment may require an oral version of chemotherapy in about 6 months and morally I do not want to accept campaign donations or volunteers' time if I'm not able to give 100% effort into winning this election. The voters of the City of Lancaster deserve a candidate that can give 100%.

So, at this time I am choosing to step aside and to focus on my wellness, my career as the lead salesperson with Gardner's Mattress & More - a locally owned Lancaster City business, and my philanthropic activities.

This past year my People of Lancaster group raised $7400.00 for the Lancaster City Police Foundation, specifically the horses and canines, via our end of year Santa Stumble. This was our biggest year yet and our 3-year total amount of money raised is nearly $12,000.00. In 2013 we are aiming for a $10,000-$15,000 donation goal. I have accepted a position on the board of directors for a non-profit called Heartsafe Pennsylvania where our goal is to reduce the number of deaths by sudden cardiac arrest in our state, starting with Lancaster County and edging our way outward to encompass all of PA. I have also been recently elected as an officer in Ubar Grotto, a Masonic organization in Central PA whose philanthropy is to provide dental care for children with special needs. Other Masonic organizations I'm involved with benefit children with dyslexia and the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia.

I thank you all for your support. I do plan to stay very involved in local, state, and national politics and who knows, I reserve the right to be a professional politician and to flip-flop on this decision if my treatment goes well... or maybe aim for Sturla's 96th or Smucker's 13th......

Sincerely,

Pete Ruggieri