Rick Perry drops out of 2016 presidential campaign
Republican candidate Rick Perry has dropped out of the race to be US president days before he was to be relegated once again to a second-tier debate.
Perry, former Texas governor, announced on Friday that he was suspending his presidential campaign, making him the first to depart among the crowded Republican candidates.
“When I gave my life to Christ, I said, 'Your ways are greater than my ways. Your will superior to mine.' Today I submit that his will remains a mystery, but some things have become clear," Perry said, speaking to the Eagle Forum conference in St. Louis. “That is why today I am suspending my campaign for the presidency of the United States.”
“We have a tremendous field — the best in a generation — so I step aside knowing our party is in good hands, and as long as we listen to the grass roots, the cause of conservatism will be too.”
Perry’s struggling campaign in addition to his failure to make the cut into the main Republican presidential debate last month were perhaps the reasons behind his decision.
However, he said that “I share this news with no regrets. It has been a privilege and an honor to travel this country, to speak with the American people about their hopes and dreams, to see a sense of optimism prevalent despite a season of cynical politics.”
Despite his positive suspension announcement, Perry was having a hard time paying campaign staff in states with early contests like Iowa.
This was not the first time Perry dropped out of presidential campaign as he also made the same decision in his first presidential bid in 2012 after a series of gaffes.
As an ex-military officer and governor of Texas for over a decade, he possessed a potential to be a top-tier contender for the Republican nomination.
Among GOP candidates, Donald Trump is more likely to be selected as the Republican nominee, according to a poll released last Friday.
The Survey USA poll showed that Trump has beaten Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) by 44 percent to 40 percent; Vice President Joe Biden by 44 percent to 42 percent; and former Vice President Al Gore by 44 percent to 41 percent.
Latest polls show Harris, Trump tied as voting continues
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