Mayer quits race for EBR mayor-president

Baton Rouge businessman Jim Mayer has withdrawn from the race to become Baton Rouge’s mayor-president, Mayer said Monday in an email.

Mayer, a little-known candidate, formally announced in an email to council members earlier this year that he was seeking the office.

Mayer said that Baton Rouge was operating at 35 percent of “what it could be.” He proposed adding a second level of Interstate 10 to the existing structure from the Mississippi River Bridge past the Interstate 10-12 split to help alleviate traffic congestion.

He also proposed adding a confidential phone line for crime tips.

He said he was withdrawing to focus on helping LSU, its medical school and Pennington Biomedical Research Center “survive” cuts made by the Legislature and the governor.

Mayer operated Mayer Co. Clothiers in Baton Rouge for 26 years until closing it in February.