North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum (R) withdrew from the Republican presidential nomination race.
“Today, we have made the decision to suspend our campaign for president of the United States,” Burgum said in a statement.
“Our decision to run came from a place of caring deeply about every American, and our mission to re-establish trust in American leadership and our institutions of democracy. In community after community, we have witnessed the best of America, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who supported us along the way,” the statement read.
“Katheryn and I remain committed to fighting for the people who make our nation so exceptional.”
Burgum appeared to blame the Republican National Committee (RNC) for failing to qualify for the third debate.
“The RNC’s clubhouse debate requirements are nationalizing the primary process and taking the power of democracy away from the engaged, thoughtful citizens of Iowa and New Hampshire,” he said.
“The RNC’s mission is to win elections. It is not their mission to reduce competition and restrict fresh ideas by ‘narrowing the field’ months before the Iowa caucuses or the first in the nation New Hampshire primary. These arbitrary criteria ensure advantages for candidates from major media markets on the coasts versus America’s Heartland. None of their debate criteria relate to the qualifications related to actually doing the job of the president. This effort to nationalize the primary system is unhealthy for the future of the party, especially for a party that proclaims to value leadership from outside of Washington.”
Three others have withdrawn from the Republican presidential nomination race, including former Vice President Mike Pence, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and Maimi Mayor Francis Suarez.
