FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — A now former candidate for Fall River mayor is blaming “dirty politics” for his departure from the race.

“It was getting a bit ugly and it wasn’t something I was prepared for,” Christopher Silvia, the owner of Christopher’s Cafe on South Main Street, said.

Silvia suspended his campaign on Sept. 1 , a little under two months after he announced his candidacy on July 10.

While he was initially fueled by the support from his large online following, Silvia said the backlash on social media became too much to handle.

“You do hear that all the time, ‘politics is dirty,’ I wasn’t prepared for how dirty it was going to be, or how organized it was going to be against a particular candidate, myself,” Silvia said.

Silvia said he believes Mayor Paul Coogan’s administra

See Full Page