An independent candidate for Seattle City Council announced on Wednesday that he is dropping out of the race, due to what he described as racial and sexual harassment of his wife by left-wing activists.

Christopher Rufo, a documentary filmmaker, made combatting Seattle’s “activist class” and “the ideologues on our city council” a central part of his campaign for election in 2019.

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But the activists appear to have won.

“I had hoped that this would be a campaign of ideas, but I quickly discovered that the activists in this city have no interest in ideas. Since the campaign launch, they have harassed and threatened my family nonstop. I was prepared to take the heat, but unfortunately, they have focused their hatred on my wife and children,” Rufo told supporters Wednesday in an email.

“They’ve made vile racist attacks against my wife, attempted to get her fired from Microsoft, and threatened sexual violence. They have even posted hateful messages to my 8-year-old son’s school Facebook page. I know that as the race progresses, the activists will ratchet up their hate-machine and these attacks will intensify significantly,” he wrote in the email.

He continued:

I’m deeply disappointed by this turn of events and hope I have not let down my supporters as well. I’ve been overwhelmed by the excitement, love, and generosity from hundreds of people all over the Puget Sound. I know in my heart that our cause is just and our ideas would make Seattle a better place. But my primary responsibility is to make sure my family is healthy, happy, and safe. That’s not possible in our current political climate, which has been overtaken by polarization and the ever-present threat of violence. I’ve learned that our problem here in Seattle is much deeper than the city council’s policies—we have created a culture of intolerance that is deeply destructive to the common good. I plan to spend the next few months reflecting on this experience and charting a way forward in a series of essays. I hope that some positive benefit can come out of this disappointment.

Rufo confirmed to The Daily Caller News Foundation that the activists referred to in his email were political left-wingers. The city is a hotbed of left-wing activism. (RELATED: Seattle City Councilman: Cleaning Poop Off Sidewalks Is Racist)

He pledged in the email to refund all of the donations to his campaign, which had raised $12,760 on Crowdpac. His decision to drop out of the race was first reported by local media.

The announcement comes amidst an increasingly tense and violent political climate.

In one instance, a left-wing mob appeared outside the home of Fox News host Tucker Carlson, a co-founder of TheDCNF, and ordered him to “leave town.”

Washington, D.C., police are investigating that incident as a “suspected hate crime.”

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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.