DES MOINES, Iowa – Martin O’Malley suspended his longshot Democratic presidential campaign Monday night as early results showed he gained little traction in the first-in-the-nation caucuses in Iowa, a state where his campaign pinned their hopes.
"I know those numbers don't reflect all of the hard work that you did," O'Malley told supporters.
O’Malley’s candidacy, despite initial high hopes and a strong resume, failed to launch from the start and never picked up steam as he stayed mired in the single digits in polls for most of the past year. O’Malley was a politician’s politician in a year when the electorate craved anti-establishment insurgents like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump.
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O'Malley spent more time in Iowa than any other candidate and prided himself on being accessible to voters and the press. His campaign also believes he helped push frontrunner Hillary Clinton ad Sanders on certain issues.
"This fight continues," the former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor said.
Trump's campaign manager sent a memo to supporters that read: "Although it might not have been Governor O’Malley’s year and while the results of tonight’s caucus are disappointing, he leaves the race with an enhanced national profile and proved himself to be a well-liked figure and positive force within in the Democratic Party."
