Former Hewlett-Packard executive Carly Fiorina announced Wednesday she will suspend her campaign after disappointing showings in the two opening contests of the GOP presidential primary.
Fiorina finished with just four percent of the vote in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday after an equally tough showing in the Iowa caucuses. She originally told supporters her campaign would continue on, but her prospects in South Carolina, Nevada and beyond looked bleak.
“While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them,” she said in a statement.
Strong debate performances last fall helped Fiorina gain some traction. But as other candidates surged, she faded. Fiorina missed the cut to make the final GOP debate ahead of the New Hampshire primary.
Fiorina, the only woman in the Republican field, wrote on her Facebook page, “To young girls and women across the country, I say: do not let others define you. Do not listen to anyone who says you have to vote a certain way or for a certain candidate because you’re a woman.”
