Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel announced on Friday that he will dissolve his campaign to challenge incumbent Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) due to a family medical issue.

Mandel said on Friday,

We recently learned that my wife has a health issue that will require my time, attention and presence. In other words, I need to be there. Understanding and dealing with this health issue is more important to me than any political campaign. For as long as that takes, whether it is months or years, it is important that I heed my dad’s advice and be there for my wife and our kids. After recent discussions with our family and healthcare professionals, it has become clear to us that it’s no longer possible for me to be away from home and on the campaign trail for the time needed to run a US Senate race.

Manel, who was the front-runner for the Republican nomination, will leave the field open for other candidates to challenge Sen. Brown. Brown serves as one of the ten Senate Democratic incumbents that Republicans have targeted to gain a stronger majority in the Congress’s upper chamber.

“Therefore, I’m writing today to let you know that I am ending my campaign for US Senate in order to be there for my wife and our three children,” the Ohio state treasurer concluded. “This was a difficult decision for us, but it’s the right one.”