One day before the deadline to file nomination petitions, the Philadelphia GOP endorsed mayoral candidate is bailing out of the race.

Daphne Goggins, a ward leader in North Philadelphia, who became the first African-American woman endorsed for mayor by the city’s Republican Party announced in a nine minute Facebook Live video last night that she was ending her campaign and resigning as ward leader as well.

“When I decided to run for mayor, it was truly what I believed God wanted me to do,” Goggins said. “I believed we needed to use such a platform to reach out into the inner city communities and to continue to build the Republican Party because we all know that no Republican can win a citywide election in the city of Philadelphia until we effectively reach out to the minority community.”

She delivered a number of pointed shots at party leadership in the city by claiming they did not do enough to assist her reach the amount of signatures needed to appear on the ballot. Goggins said she only reached 731 signatures, falling short of the 1,000 signature threshold.

“I began to realize that the rumors about the Philadelphia Republican Party just might be true,” Goggins said. “I have come to the conclusion that not only do they not want to grow in the inner city communities, but they are also ok with remaining the minority party in the city of Philadelphia.”

The feud goes back to the endorsement process when Goggins received the endorsement over South Philadelphia defense attorney Billy Ciancaglini. Philadelphia Republican City Committee Chairman, Michael Meehan, issued a “do-over” vote on the party endorsement after Ciancaglini criticized Goggins for collecting federal disability payments since 2010.

Goggins was still awarded the endorsement after the party gathered a second time to endorse, although she did threaten to sue the party if they reconsidered the endorsement.

The dispute between Goggins and Ciancaglini continued after the endorsement announcement. Goggins criticized Ciancaglini for previously being a registered Democrat, while Ciancaglini said he’d challenge the amount of signatures Goggins received.

During her announcement that she was ending her campaign, Goggins accused her opponent of “disparaging” her campaign and unloaded criticisms of the racial makeup of the party in the city.

“The Philadelphia Republican Party is not ready at this time to support a minority candidate,” Goggins said. “They have no plan on how to embrace and move into the minority community.”

Ciancaglini reveled in the news that Goggins would no longer seek the party nomination. Two separate times he shared social media posts with the news that she was exiting from the race.

Earlier in the afternoon yesterday, Ciancaglini shared a Northeast Times article on Facebook and Twitter stating she was planning to step out of the race and quoted it with “#BOOM”.

When the announcement became official, Ciancaglini shared an Inquirer story with the news quoting it saying, “Au revoir, Daphne…”

Supporters of Goggins and Ciancaglini went back and forth in the Facebook live video from Goggins announcement. Ciancaglini “liked” one of the comments on Goggins’ announcement from someone writing “Forming a black republican coalition. You are racist. And you wanted to be mayor”.

Goggins said she will not support Ciancaglini’s campaign and said she will be forming her own “Black Republican coalition”.