Dorsol Plants, the young Iraq War veteran who filed again to run in the 2011 council races, has decided to withdraw his hat from the ring, he told The Stranger today. Citing the recent death of his grandfather and the prospect of family obligations that may hinder a full-scale campaign, Plants says, "I am really apologetic to the supporters that I have and wish the circumstances were different. I just felt like I was between a rock and a hard place." Plants also ran for council in 2009.

Instead, Michael Taylor-Judd, also a member of the 34th District Democrats, says that with Plants dropping out, he has decided to enter the race. Taylor-Judd (who has taken half his last name from husband Brian Judd) is in the process of filing campaign paperwork with the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission.

An administrator for the Foundation for Health Care Equality, Taylor-Judd says he won't run against incumbent council members Sally Clark or Tim Burgess. But he is pondering a bid against Jean Godden, Bruce Harrell, or Tom Rasmussen. As for challenging Rasmussen, he says, "Tom and I disagree about many things, including the deep-bore tunnel, but I am not running as an anti-tunnel candidate, even though I support surface/transit" as a replacement for the Alaskan Way Viaduct.