A Republican congressional candidate in Arizona suspended his campaign after he overdosed on heroin.
Chris Taylor, a Safford city councilor, was found unresponsive in his home on Wednesday night by a family member, according to the Gila Herald. Paramedics administered Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of opioids, to revive him.
Authorities also found “items related to intravenous drug use” at the Safford Fire Department, where Taylor volunteered as a firefighter.
The incident was a relapse for Taylor, an Afghanistan combat veteran who has battled opioid addiction since he was in high school.
“Today, I have suspended my campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives and am seeking treatment for substance abuse disorder. I will fully cooperate with local authorities on any matters arising from my recent relapse and overdose,” Taylor said in a statement to the Arizona Republic on Monday.
“I’m not going to hide from this. I’m not ashamed of what happened. I wish to sincerely apologize to the amazing people who have supported me. I don’t know what went wrong. I recently relapsed after having so many solid years in sobriety. I have to figure out where I went wrong.”
Taylor has been seeking the Republican nomination in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District.
