NEWPORT — Independent candidate James Stanek announced yesterday that he is dropping out of the three-way special election for the District 75 House seat of longtime state Rep. Paul W. Crowley, who died in September.

Stanek made his announcement in a Cox Communications studio in Portsmouth at the outset of a candidates forum sponsored by the Newport Daily News. His withdrawal makes it a two-way race between Democrat J. Clement “Bud” Cicilline, 67, a former state senator, and Republican Steven J. Coaty, 47, a lawyer with a practice in Middletown.

Stanek, in making his announcement, did not elaborate on why he ended his short-lived campaign only 12 days before the Dec. 18 election.

“Just for personal reasons,” he said during an interview yesterday afternoon. “Right now I can’t do it. I made the decision a couple of days ago.”

Stanek threw his support to Coaty and the GOP. He said he ran as an independent only because he thought he’d be better able to work with the Democratic majority than if he ran as a Republican.

“I am a Republican at heart,” he said. “Mr. Carcieri is a knight in shining armor.”

Stanek, 64, owner of TransAtlantic Marine in Tiverton, said that he got to know Coaty during previous campaign forums.

“I endorse Steve Coaty. I think he really has a lot of good ideas,” Stanek said. “He was more or less paralleling my track.”

Stanek said that he made his announcement at Cox during the opportunity for candidates to make introductory remarks. He didn’t remain for the later segments of the forum.

“I thought that was the best way to handle it,” he said.

Coaty said yesterday that Stanek’s candidacy showed how much he cares about the community and the state of Rhode Island” and that he was thrilled to have Stanek’s support. Stanek called him yesterday and during a conversation about the many views they shared, Stanek said he would endorse him.

Coaty said that Stanek’s withdrawal from the race would likely benefit him, not Cicilline. Voters not interested in voting for Cicilline or a Democrat, might have split between Coaty and Stanek.

“Bud Cicilline is a known quantity. I don’t see him expanding his support,” Coaty said. “If Jim had stayed in the race it would have taken votes away from me.”

Cicilline handily defeated David R. Carlin III in the Democratic primary on Nov. 13. He is the president and chief executive officer of Newport County Mental Health Center and served in the Senate for 10 years until 2003.

rsalit@projo.com