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High School Basketball Coach Drops Out Of Assembly Race

Saunders High School basketball coach and social studies teacher Anthony Nicodemo has ended his bid for a New York state Assembly seat.         

Saunders High School basketball coach Anthony Nicodemo.

Saunders High School basketball coach Anthony Nicodemo.

Photo Credit: From Fox 5 Good Day New York

"This was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made," Nicodemo said on Twitter. "The experience was invaluable and I have no regrets."

Nicodemo was seeking the 90th District Assembly seat vacated by Shelley Mayer of Yonkers after she won the state Senate seat vacated by County Executive George Latimer of Rye.

Nicodemo explained, "We obtained over 600 signatures from voters in the 90th that were ruled invalid over technicalities."

When he announced his candidacy in May, the openly gay Democrat said, "When an opportunity presents itself, we need to take it."

"A chance to represent and fight for my community is something I could not pass on," Nicodemo said on Twitter in May, as reported here by Daily Voice. 

Nicodemo, who's been Saunders Trades and Technical High School's head boys basketball coach for nine years and a social studies teacher for 13 years, was seeking the state seat that includes most of Yonkers.

"I've been representing Yonkers for years, and the City of Yonkers has been so supportive of my endeavors and what I've done ... Shelly Mayer did such a great job of representing Yonkers and our kids, and who I thought can do a better job of replacing her than me?"

On his website, Nicodemo lists five major issues that impact his district, including getting state funding for Yonkers schools, stricter gun laws, human and LGBT rights, education and fighting for unions and organized labor.

Nicodemo had been in the news in the past year for several off-the-court matters.

He was vocal about the Section 1 high school basketball championships being moved from the Westchester County Center and was listed as a plaintiff when the coaches association sued earlier this year.

Nicodemo was suspended by Section 1 for the first game of the 2018-19 season after allegedly failing to file the proper paperwork for an LGBTQ fundraising event he organized. He appealed the suspension and accused Section 1 of being vindictive.

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