Jordan Haskins before and after

In the photo on the left, courtesy of the Michigan Department of Corrections, Jordan David Haskins can be seen before he began serving a term in state prison. On the right is a photograph of Haskins, taken by The Saginaw News after the 23-year-old filed as the lone Republican candidate to run for the Michigan House of Representatives 95th District seat in 2014.

(File | MLive.com)

SAGINAW, MI — Jordan Haskins, a Republican candidate for state representative, says he dropped out of the race after his criminal record was revealed.

Haskins, a 24-year-old Saginaw man, is on parole after serving a prison sentence for felony convictions tied to an uncommon sexual fetish he called "cranking" in interviews with police. During interviews with The Saginaw News, Haskins said he has left that past behind him.

Early Thursday, July 10, Haskins posted the following statement on his Facebook page:

"Recently some events about my past have been revealed. In my interviews with the media on those events, I was open, honest and transparent.

Apparently, there are some who are using my past to attack solid candidates who I consider my friends. To them I apologize.

Effective immediately, I am no longer seeking the 95th District House seat. I do this, not because I no longer think Saginaw needs a constitutional conservative candidate, but out of deference to those candidates I would consider my friends.

To those who have supported my campaign, I say thank you and God bless you."

The statement comes almost two weeks after details of Haskin's criminal convictions were published by The Saginaw News.

In a phone interview July 10, Haskins confirmed he will no longer actively be campaigning and declined to comment any further on the decision.

The deadline for candidates to withdraw passed on April 25, so Haskins' name will appear on the Republican primary ballot Tuesday, Aug. 5, despite his announcement.

Haskins' convictions on both misdemeanor and felony counts are connected to a sexual fetish in which he pulled out spark plug wires on public vehicles. He told police he then sat inside the vehicles and masturbated while attempting to start the engines.

Haskins repeated the act and the crimes connected with it several times in his teens and early 20s. The 24-year-old said in politics he has found his calling, and he wants to serve his community through elected office.

State law does not prevent someone with a felony conviction from running, though it does ban those found guilty of certain "breaches of public trust" from holding office.

In the above statement, Haskins says he has decided to drop out of the race "in deference" to other political candidates.

The local Republican has received support from a handful of political figures since news broke of his criminal past. That group includes congressional candidate Peter Konetchy from Roscommon, who posted a statement of support on Haskin's Facebook page on June 29.

"I've know Jordan for several months," wrote Konetchy, a Republican running to represent Michigan's 4th Congressional District. "The stories regarding his past are sensational, but he's readily admitted that he's made mistakes in his life, has been tried, convicted, and incarcerated by society, and has paid his debt.

"Everyone makes dumb decisions, but the true test of character is how you learn from your past mistakes. I hope and pray that Jordan can muster the fortitude and strength to overcome this pressure and become a positive force in our society."

In a poll that asked readers "Could you see yourself voting for a candidate with a felony conviction?" nearly 59 percent of the 228 people responding said "No."

Another 27 percent said "Depends on the crime," while 14 percent of voters responded with an outright "yes."

State Rep. Stacy Erwin Oakes, D-Saginaw, created a wide-open race for Michigan's 95th State House seat when she announced her plan to run for State Senate.

Two Democrats have filed for the seat, which has been long-held by a member of that party. Norman Braddock, a former Saginaw city councilman, and Bridgeport Township Trustee Vanessa Guerra will face off in the Democratic primary in August.

Full coverage of the 95th State House District election

Neither Braddock nor Guerra has a criminal record in Michigan.

The 95th District consists of the cities of Saginaw and Zilwaukee and the townships of Kochville, Zilwaukee, Carrollton, Buena Vista, Bridgeport, Spaulding and James.

Mark Tower covers local government for MLive/The Saginaw News. Contact him at 989-284-4807, by email at mtower@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.