Mike Penta has been involved in Warwick politics for 26 years but as of this week he’s out.

Penta, who has endorsements from the Warwick Teachers Union and city Democrats, is withdrawing from the Ward 4 council race to replace Jim McElroy, who is running for the District 21 House seat. And Penta said Tuesday he is resigning as a member of the Planning Board, a post he was named to by former Mayor Joseph Solomon.

The reason he’s getting out of Warwick politics and Warwick is because he’s buying a dream house in East Greenwich. What’s more, he has a plan to do it all within his financial means, and [I] “will be spending more time with my family again.”

Penta said his wife, Angelica “Gel,” learned of the house, which is on two acres of land that “looks like a state park” less than a week ago. They liked it and they liked the owners. Penta said he didn’t wait to start the wheels turning. He contacted his bank and the numbers worked between what he owes on his Hoxsie home, what he expects to sell it for and what he’ll be paying for the East Greenwich house. He broke the news to Gel.

What really iced the deal is that the East Greenwich house includes an in-law apartment that will enable their son, Derek, to live with them. Derek currently rents an adjoining house in Hoxsie and, as Penta explained, Gel wants to have her son with them.

“This will be the perfect situation,” said Penta. He said the drive to work for both of them — they own and operate Gel’s Kitchen in Warwick and West Warwick — is less.

Dropping out of the council race, he said, “I feel like nothing is on my shoulders” although he is confident he would have won this time. This would have been his fifth bid for public office. He first lost the Ward 4 race as the Republican candidate to then councilman Joseph Solomon in 2012. He made a bid as a Republican for the House seat in 2016. Two runs as the independent candidate in Ward 4 fell short in 2018 and 2022.

Penta said he pulled up 127 signs Tuesday. He has informed Mayor Frank Picozzi of his decision and talked with House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Rep. Dist. 23, who told him the Democrats would recruit a candidate.

Penta was introduced to politics by the late Donald Morash, who was a leader in city GOP circles and played a critical role in Penta’s life. As a Warwick high school student, Penta and his younger brother were kicked out of their home by their father. Fearful if authorities learned what had happened they would become wards of the state, the pair lived on the street while continuing to go to school. Mike picked up odd jobs saving enough money to get a car that became their home.

When Morash, who was in the real estate business, started using Mike for jobs he found an apartment for the boys and encouraged Mike to go into the construction trades business. For years Mike ran his own contracting business, eventually giving that up to work full time in his wife’s business, Gel’s Kitchen.

Why the sudden change in plans and pulling up all the political roots that have taken so many years to grow, especially now when he has the support of the established Democratic team, including Shekarchi?

There’s some disillusionment this time around. “Politics is dirty this year,” he said referencing the jockeying that has started now that four of the nine council members aren’t seeking reelection including City Council President Steve McAllister.

But Penta doesn’t want to leave the political scene on a sour note. He’s made friends with people on both sides of the political aisle, city employees and business people across the city. “I love all these guys… I’m on a great note with everybody,” he said. He doesn’t want that to change.

Now he has an opportunity, which he doesn’t see ever coming again, to do something for Gel and himself.

“This is going to be Mike Penta at this point,” he said.

That said, he emphasized that Gel’s Kitchen will carry on in its support of community activities and causes.

When announcing his candidacy for Ward 4, Penta said, “If elected, my goal is to go out there and bring the community together. Whether it’s gathering down at Conimicut Point and having open events — not to meet with your councilman but to meet with me as a person. These are my goals — to let the people know that I’m there for them.”

On Tuesday he reiterated his pledge to help others, adding some advice to those in the political game.

“You guys need to get along or you’re not going to have a good city,” he said.