By Associated Press - Monday, February 24, 2020

SAFFORD, Ariz. (AP) - A Safford city councilman who was running for a Congressional seat has suspended his campaign after having a drug relapse last week.

In a statement, Chris Taylor says he’s seeking treatment for a substance abuse disorder.

Taylor also says he will fully cooperate with local authorities on any matters arising from his relapse and overdose.

The Arizona Republic reported Monday that Taylor is a military veteran who has battled opioid addiction since high school.

Taylor says he relapsed after “many solid years in sobriety” and has to figure out where he went wrong.”

A family member reportedly found Taylor unresponsive in his home on Wednesday night.

Paramedics revived him with a drug that reverses the effects of opioids.

Taylor had been seeking the Republican nomination in the 1st Congressional District currently represented by incumbent Rep. Tom O’Halleran, a Democrat in his second term.

The 1st District spans northeastern Arizona, including Flagstaff, and runs to the outskirts of Tucson.

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