Board of Selectmen candidate Patrick Tropeano, after falling ill at Candidates Night on Thursday, said he has decided to bow out of the race for the two-year seat vacated by Michael Schneider.

"If you don't do the OPL [Candidates Night] and things like that, it makes it very difficult to win a race. It's an extremely important piece of the whole" election," said Tropeano, a former Selectman. "I really owe the town a lot and I'd love to help out and maybe I can find some other way."

Tropeano attended Candidates Night, but had to leave before the Selectmen candidates took the stage. His name will still appear on the April 3 ballot, but he said he won't be campaigning and is "hoping that Peter Teitelbaum will win" the seat.

Tropeano said he is supporting Teitelbaum because he does not believe that Amit Johar, the third candidate running for the two-year seat, lives in Wareham.

In documents filed with the Town Clerk's office, Johar listed 3150 Cranberry Highway -- the address of the apartment above his family's package store, Mayflower Liquors -- as his residence.

"I absolutely know for a fact that this gentleman doesn't live up there," Tropeano said. "I happen to know personally who lives in that apartment ... and he's not one of them."

Schneider is resigning after having moved to Maine.

Reached by phone, Johar said he does live in town and is disappointed in what he says is a distraction from the important issues.

"I live in Wareham, 3150 Cranberry Highway, because my parents own that property," said Johar, noting that his family has been in town for five years. "Let's talk about substantive issues, things that really matter. ... Wareham is in a budget hole. ... Let's get on to more substantive issues, instead of more distraction."

Tropeano said he regrets having to bow out of the race.

"It's really too bad," he said. "I thought I'd be able to help a lot."