Mike Pence suspended his bid for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination on Saturday afternoon.
Pence, who served as Donald Trump’s vice president, announced his decision to cease campaigning during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference in Las Vegas.
“After much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president,” Pence, who previously served as governor of Indiana, told the audience. “Let me promise you I will never leave the fight for conservative values, and I will never stop fighting to elect principled Republican leaders to every office in the land, so help me God.
“We always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence added. “The only thing that would have been harder than coming up short would have been if we’d never tried at all.
“I urge all my fellow Republicans here to give our country a Republican standard-bearer that will, as Lincoln said, appeal to the better angels of our nature, and not only lead us to victory but lead our nation with civility back to the time-honored principles that have always made America strong and prosperous and free.”
Pence had struggled to find his footing in a crowded field of Republican contenders. In September, a Wall Street Journal poll found the former vice president stuck in the GOP’s midfield alongside Senator Tim Scott (R., S.C.) and former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, all failing to earn at least 5 percent of first-choice ballots.
Pence’s popularity struggles — such as failing to secure 70,000 individual donors — jeopardized his attendance at the upcoming Republican presidential debate on November 8 in Miami. Pence’s woes were reflected in worsening campaign-finance trends, as his campaign was saddled with $600,000 in debt and only $1.2 million in funding with few prospects on the horizon.
The announcement, according to influential Republican donor Fred Zeidman, was a “total shock,” with Politico reporting “audible gasps” as Pence delivered the news.
“We thank God for His amazing grace. He gave us the courage to step forward so many years ago. And the wisdom to step aside,” Pence said during his speech. “My fellow Republicans, thank you for your kindness, your support, and your prayers over the many years. As we go home to Indiana, let me assure you we leave here with optimism and faith. We don’t know what the future holds. But we know who holds the future, and with faith in Him and boundless confidence in all of you, we know the best days for America and our most cherished ally, Israel, are yet to come.”