It started as a three-way race, but now voters within the city of Coos Bay will have only two choices for mayor.

Candidate Fred Kirby announced Thursday he has withdrawn his candidacy. Kirby sent out a letter saying that if elected he would be unable to begin serving on the council in November, as is required by city charter. 

“For unanticipated personal reasons that I have made known to some of you, if elected, I could not be available until mid January,” he wrote.

In quitting the race, Kirby said he is putting his support behind city councilor John Muenchrath, who is trying to unseat incumbent mayor Jeff McKeown.

Muenchrath “is committed to success and growth of the city. I believe that, of the two candidates, he best epitomizes the ideals that the citizens expect in their mayor,” Kirby wrote.

On the council side, there are nine candidates vying for four positions. County election workers are scheduled to begin mailing ballots on Friday, Oct. 17.