A California Democrat on Thursday announced he was suspending his House campaign, citing a “lack of joy.” Later that day, however, he backtracked, calling the original message an “error.”

“I’m writing to announce the suspension of my congressional campaign. … The reason is simple: a lack of joy,” Aditya Pai, an attorney and congressional hopeful in Orange County, said in an email to media and supporters early Thursday. Hours later, he sent another email saying the campaign was still active and that the previous communication had been “sent by a now-former aide in error.”

“I wrote that letter as an emotional processing exercise after an exhausting glimpse into the political machine,” Pai wrote in the second email. “I sent it to some mentors and staff for perspective before getting back to work; it was never supposed to be shared.”

“I will absolutely NOT be suspending my campaign,” Pai wrote.

Pai told The Hill that he launched a “complete reset” of his campaign following the erroneous announcement, saying nearly every staff member has departed over a “misalignment of values.”

Pai, who has said his campaign mission is to “inspire public service,” told the outlet he did “seriously consider suspending [his] campaign” because he wasn’t finding it “fun.”

The Democrat is seeking his party’s nomination to run for California’s 45th Congressional District, represented by Republican Michelle Steel, who narrowly prevailed in the 2022 midterm elections.

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