BATON ROUGE — Gregory Taylor, who was running as an independent for East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president, dropped out of the race Thursday, leaving eight candidates in the running for parish leadership.

Taylor, a heavy equipment mechanic with dual citizenship in the U.S. and Canada, qualified for the mayor-president's race on July 18.

Taylor's withdrawal from the race leaves seven candidates challenging current Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome. They are Republican Tambra "Tammy" Cook, Democrat Ted James, Republican Steve Myers, Republican Nathanial Hearn, Republican Emile "Sid" Edwards, Independent Ryan "Bad Biddness" Carter and Independent William Roundtree, who uses the name Champagne Starr.

After withdrawing from the race, Taylor endorsed James.

"I truly believe that former State Representative James is the right person to unite our parish and tackle the issues that matter most to the residents of East Baton Rouge Parish," Taylor said. "Ted brings fresh, innovative ideas backed by real government experience, giving residents a chance for genuine change."

A list of all who qualified for the election is available on the Secretary of State's website.