PHX Reporter

Randy Kaufman (R), candidate for a local governing board, recently suspended his campaign.

Kaufman was seeking a seat on the Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) Governing Board. He was arrested for public sexual indecency, according to AzCentral.com. Kaufman alerted officials that he would suspend his campaign after he was arrested.

An MCCCD police officer found Kaufman masturbating in his truck in a parking lot at Rio Salado College in Surprise on Oct. 4, AzCentral.com reported. The officer parked his vehicle approximately 20 feet from Kaufman's truck and saw Kaufman masturbating while looking at a cell phone. The incident occurred near Wirtzie's Preschool and Child Day Care.

The officer said, "Seriously?" to Kaufman after observing him, according to AzCentral.com.

"I'm sorry," Kaufman said, according to the police report. "I [expletive] up. I'm really stressed."

The officer chastised Kaufman about the incident and told him he was in public view.

"Why would you do that here?" the officer asked Kaufman, according to the report. "I saw a guy on a bike pass by you. If I could see you, don't you think other people could? Cars were passing by you in the lot."

"I'm just really stressed out," Kaufman said to the officer. "I have a lot of things going on."

"Don't you see how alarming that is?" the officer asked Kaufman. "That there are children nearby, people passing on bikes and in cars where they can look and see what you are doing?"

Kaufman delivered a written statement to The Arizona Republic, AzCentral.com reported. In it, he confirmed that he suspended his campaign.

"A personal legal matter has recently arisen, and I need to step out of the race to focus on personal affairs," the statement read. "I am sincerely grateful for the supporters and friends I have gathered throughout the campaign. I will never stop fighting to protect the United States Constitution and the values that make America the greatest country in the world."

The Republican Party of Arizona issued a statement in support of Kaufman's decision, according to AzCentral.com.

"Every American citizen has the right to fair treatment throughout the judicial system," the statement read. "The Republican Party of Arizona respects due process and the Constitution. We support Mr. Kaufman's decision to suspend his campaign."

State Rep. Kelli Butler (D-Scottsdale), fellow candidate for a seat on the MCCCD Governing Board, said she hoped the incident could be resolved quickly.

"The nature of the charges against Mr. Kaufman is extremely troubling, and I hope all facts about this incident will be known soon and that justice is served," Butler said in a statement posted on Twitter. "According to the report, this incident occurred within feet of an occupied preschool, and Mr. Kaufman acknowledged guilt and tried to leverage his candidacy. Needless to say, that's unacceptable."