Former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) dropped out of the Republican presidential primary on Monday night, becoming the second Republican to do so.
Hurd — who polled near the bottom of the primary field, struggled to garner even 1% in the polls, and never made it onto the debate stage — joined the ranks of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who dropped out in late August after failing to make the first presidential debate.
“Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign,” he said. ” 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.”
He said that he ran because he wanted to preserve “this experiment called America” and because he thought the country deserved better options than President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. He also stressed the importance of major issues he believed that Americans were not focused enough on, including artificial intelligence, the brewing Cold War with China, and crisis on the U.S. southern border.
“Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and navigate the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to our national security,” he said. “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,” he continued. “I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race.”
When I first entered the Republican presidential primary field in June, I knew I was a dark horse candidate with a path to victory that would contain many obstacles. But as I traveled across the country, I met so many Americans who believed in my campaign’s message of unity and…
— Will Hurd (@WillHurd) October 9, 2023