Actor Ned Vaughn has cut short his political ambitions by pulling out of the race for the California State Assembly.

The Hunt for Red October star, 48, stepped down as the vice president of the Screen Actors Guild in August (13) to run for office as the Republican candidate representing Los Angeles County's South Bay region.

However, he officially quit the campaign on Friday (18Oct13), revealing in an email blast to supporters that he wanted to spend more time with his family.

He wrote, "I've determined the timing of this pursuit is just too soon for my still-young family. My roles as husband and father are the ones I prize most, and it has become clear to me that conducting a successful Assembly campaign will require me to spend too much time away from my children at a time when they still need me. They will only be young once, and I don't want to largely miss an important time that they and I will never get back."

Vaughn, who has five kids with his wife Adelaide, insisted he will remain politically active, but will not be pursuing his bid for office in 2014.