"The truth is the path has narrowed to a close for our candidacy," Buttigieg said, currently in third place in the Democratic race, with 26 delegates.
"By every conventional wisdom, by every historical measure, we were never supposed to get anywhere at all," Buttigieg noted, as he was the first openly gay candidate to win a state in a race for the White House.
Buttigieg did not endorse another candidate - less than 36 hours before the polls would start opening on Super Tuesday, when voters cast ballots for President in 14 states.
.@PeteButtigieg: "I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency. I will no longer seek to be the 2020 Democratic nominee for president, but I will do everything in my power to ensure that we have a new Democratic president come January." pic.twitter.com/pbDXsWwFPZ
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 2, 2020
Pete Buttigieg: “After a year of going everywhere, meeting everyone, defying every expectation, seeking every vote — the truth is that the path has narrowed to a close for our candidacy, if not for our cause.” https://t.co/qhpffOU5gb pic.twitter.com/f2wrAaNY6c
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 2, 2020
But a disappointing performance by Buttigieg in South Carolina raised additional questions about his inability to attract the support of minority voters, as he surprised many by dropping out just two days before Super Tuesday.
It was just one week earlier that Buttigieg had drawn 7,000 people to a rally at a high school in Arlington, Virginia, as he pushed ahead for Super Tuesday.
But Buttigieg had no spark on the ground in South Carolina over the past week, finishing far back in fourth, behind Tom Steyer, who dropped out on Saturday night.
Other Democrats in the race praised Buttigieg.
In a gaggle with reporters in California, @BernieSanders congratulated @PeteButtigieg on his run and said he wanted to “welcome all of his supporters into our movement and urge them to join us in the fight for real change in this country.” h/t @AveriHarper
— Adam Kelsey (@adamkelsey) March 2, 2020
Pete Buttigieg has run an inspiring and historic campaign. I have so much respect for you @PeteButtigieg and know there are great things ahead. And both John and I are big fans of Chasten!
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) March 2, 2020
Thank you, @PeteButtigieg. I know you'll continue giving back and serving our country for many years to come.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 1, 2020
“Let's move on together,” Buttigieg said to cheers.
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