Long-shot presidential candidate Will Hurd announced Monday night that he is dropping out of the 2024 Republican race and endorsing former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
The Republican primary field, which most see as a race for second place, is finally shrinking as political strategists say the smartest move is for the party to endorse a candidate to take on Donald Trump.
However, there are still 12 candidates in the contest – leading anti-MAGA Republicans to worry that Trump will run again.
Hurd dropped out of the race after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also ended his campaign in August when he failed to qualify for the first debate. They are the only two candidates so far to drop out.
The former U.S. congressman from Texas has struggled to gain traction since launching his candidacy and didn’t qualify to take the stage for either of the first two primary debates in Milwaukee, Wis., in August and Simi Valley, Calif. September. However, it did meet the donor limits.
Hurd coincided his campaign suspension with his endorsement of Haley, who he claims is uniquely positioned to address “the complexity of our foreign policy.”
Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd suspended his presidential campaign Monday night
Hurd endorsed former UN ambassador Nikki Haley after his campaign was suspended and urged his former rivals to do the same
“America is at a crossroads and it’s time to come together and make Joe Biden a one-term president. Thank you Will Hurd for your support and trust. We have a country to save!” Haley tweeted after receiving the former candidate’s endorsement.
In addition to a lengthy post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Hurd also wrote a op/ed in the Wall Street Journal released Monday afternoon, detailing his decision to endorse Haley.
“I’ve always tried to follow my own advice, so I put my presidential campaign on hold to support Nikki Haley,” Hurd wrote. “Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and address the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to national security.”
‘Lady. Haley is the best person in this match to do that. I encourage donors, fellow candidates, Republican elected officials, conservative influencers and those concerned about our democracy to support her as well.”
He warned that if the Party waits too long, “we will anoint Mr. Trump the leader of our party.”
Haley, a one-time governor of South Carolina, has seen a boost in the polls after her first two debate appearances saw her solidify her position as part of the two-three contenders in the “race for second place” with Florida Gov. Ron DeSandis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
These three took center stage in the second debate last month as they polled the highest among the seven on stage.
DeSantis had an early lead in the polls that many thought was the only one who could take on Trump — but some polls show him slipping to fifth place.
Hurd wrote that it is “delusional” to believe that “DeSantis can rise from the ashes and defeat Mr. Trump.”
There are still 11 candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination against long-time front-runner Donald Trump
“The prevailing narrative has been that Florida’s governor is the only one fit for the job,” he continued in his WSJ op-ed. “It is time to accept that despite the advantage of name recognition and an impressive war chest, Mr. DeSantis is a flawed candidate who has failed to establish himself as an alternative to Mr. Trump.”
Hurd essentially admitted that since he launched his campaign in June, he knew it was a long shot that he would ever win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.
“Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign,” Hurd wrote on Monday night. important to recognize the reality of the political landscape and the need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President Biden.”
He urged his rivals, donors and American voters in general to “unite” around a single alternative candidate to Trump — and said he hoped that could be Haley.
The candidates still vying for the nomination are Trump, DeSantis, Ramaswamy, Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Vice President Mike Pence, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Dallas-based businessman Ryan Binkley, conservative radio host Larry Elder and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson.
Hutchinson was on stage for the first debate, but was the only one in the first who did not qualify for the second.
The rest of the contenders in the field are still considered distant.
“Ambassador Haley has shown a willingness to articulate a different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unparalleled understanding of the complexities of our foreign policy,” Hurd wrote in X.
“I wholeheartedly support Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her through the rest of this fight.”
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