California Dem claims email sent to supporters 'dropping out' of race was sent in error

Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect additional information from Aditya Pai’s campaign, as reported by the Orange County Register.

A Democrat running to unseat Republican Rep. Michelle Steel in California sent an email to supporters saying he was suspending his campaign, adding that "life is too short."

Aditya Pai says the email was sent in error by a now-former aide, claiming it was written as an “emotional processing exercise after an exhausting glimpse into the political machine.”

Pai said, “I couldn’t stand by the campaign we were running. I couldn’t put my name on that campaign. So the choice was either to end the campaign or to run a campaign that reveals the real me. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do, and so I drafted two letters and the wrong one got sent.”

The initial email, shared on Twitter by OC Register reporter Hanna Kang, explained why he was giving up: "The reason is simple: a lack of joy."

He went on: “I believe one should enjoy their work. For the past four months, I have not enjoyed mine.”

Pai added that while his campaign spread “a service message that resonates here in a purple district,” he added that “my heart is not quite in it.”

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“I love the subject matter dearly: politics, law, policy, government. I love helping people. But at least at this moment, I don’t enjoy the life of a politician,” he said.

“And were I fortunate enough to be elected, I am now certain, I would be unhappy in Congress.”

Pai now says, “I’m staying in the race, but I went through a lot of soul-searching where I questioned the system. I questioned my own character and my track record, I mean, I don’t do things unless there’s a sense of joy. I really believe that service should be joyful.”