Robert J. Anderson, a candidate for Seat 3 to replace the seat left vacant by Joel Guzman on the Lehigh Acres Fire and Rescue District Board, has withdrawn his name from the race.

“I had to do this. I received threats on my life and my property and a lot of ugly emails from people. This is the right thing to do. I do not want all of this to in any way put a shadow on the board during the campaign or if I had been elected,” Anderson said.

He said he notified the Board of Election Supervisors last Friday morning and closed his campaign account. He said he has also notified the Lee County Sheriff’s Office about the threats.

“I just am not going to play their game. I think I could have done a good job, but this is the right decision for now,” he said.

Anderson has been a frequent critic of local boards’ actions and sometimes has been considered caustic when he speaks at public meetings. He calls himself the Watchdog of Lehigh.

“But when your life is threatened, it makes you feel a little differently. It shows what kind of people who are out there,” he said.

With Anderson out the race, that leaves candidates Larry Becker and Cathy Kruze, whose son will be hired back as a firefighter with SAFER grant funds. The election is in November.