Former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas suspended his presidential campaign Monday, becoming the second notable GOP candidate to end his run for the Republican nomination.
“Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign,” Hurd said in a statement. He threw his support to former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, calling her the "best person in this race" to address challenges facing the country.
"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," Hurd said. "I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race."
Haley thanked Hurd on X: "America is at a crossroads and it's time to come together and make Joe Biden a one-term president."
Hurd struggled to gain momentum from the start. He gained some attention with his consistent criticism of Trump, but he failed to qualify for both GOP debates so far.
At the Iowa GOP’s Lincoln Day Dinner in July, Hurd was greeted with a chorus of boos when he said: “Donald Trump is not running for president to make America great again. … Donald Trump is running to stay out of prison.”
Touring the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 18, Hurd and his team visited a chalkboard where fairgoers were encouraged to write down their dream jobs. Onlookers expected Hurd to write “president.” But, perhaps in a moment of self-awareness about his standing in the 2024 field, Hurd wrote “public servant,” instead.
Hurd indicated to NBC News last month that he might not consider dropping out until wintertime. But that was before he failed to make the second GOP debate in California on Sept. 27.
“My team and I are constantly evaluating whether we have the resources to chart a path to victory,” Hurd wrote on the day of the debate.
Now, he is calling on the rest of the Republican field to follow his lead so the party's voters can consolidate behind a Trump alternative.
“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 Biden, he said in his statement.
Hurd represented a swing district in Texas for three terms, having won the seat in 2014 and holding it in several tough races before he decided not to run for re-election in 2020.
