GOP Presidential Candidate Drops Out of Race, Endorses Rival

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

Former Texas congressman and CIA officer Will Hurd dropped out of the Republican presidential race on Monday and endorsed former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

In a statement released on social media, Hurd wrote:

Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign. While I appreciate all the time and energy our supporters have given, it is important to recognize the realities of the political landscape and the need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President Biden. I urge donors, voters, and other candidates to unite around an alternative candidate to Trump. Otherwise, we will repeat the same errors as in 2016. If the Republican party nominates Donald Trump or the various personalities jockeying to imitate his divisive, crass behavior, we will lose.

Hurd — who has been a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump — then endorsed Haley as the candidate to unite Republicans against both Trump and Biden, arguing:

Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and navigate the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to our national security. I believe Ambassador Nikki Haley is the best person in this race to do that. Ambassador Haley has shown a willingness to articulate a different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unmatched grasp on the complexities of our foreign policy. I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race.

Hurd did not qualify for any of the Republican primary debates and sat at the bottom of polls for the duration of his campaign.

According to RealClearPolitics’ Republican primary poll average, Haley is the third most popular Republican candidate at 7.2%, behind frontrunner Trump (57.4%) and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (12.6%).