Chad Novak got a lot of attention during his Regina mayoral campaign, but now he's bowing out of the public spotlight altogether.

Citing "dirty politics," Novak announced Thursday that he's withdrawing his candidacy.

Novak says parody Twitter accounts that mocked his campaign were a factor in the decision.

He says he plans to work for other candidates in the upcoming civic election, and that he hasn’t ruled out running for political office in the future.