Former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, the only veteran in the presidential race, announced he was suspending his presidential campaign Friday, the Washington Post and the Washington Examiner reported. From the Examiner:
“My campaign was intended to offer the gubernatorial experience, with the track record of a true conservative, experienced in national security, to unite the party.” Gilmore said, “My goal was to focus on the importance of this election as a real turning point, and to emphasize the dangers of continuing on a road that will further undermine America’s economy and weaken our national security.”
“Nonetheless, I will continue to express my concerns about the dangers of electing someone who has pledged to continue Obama’s disastrous policies,” Gilmore said. “And, I will continue to doeverything I can to ensure that our next President is a free enterprise Republican who will restore our nation to greatness and keep our citizens safe.”
#BREAKING: Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore is dropping out of the 2016 race https://t.co/vGDTSmXCiE pic.twitter.com/K3giohy4N1
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) February 12, 2016
Gilmore struggled to gain traction from the beginning of the race, and did not even register in the RealClearPolitics polling average. On the night before the Iowa caucus, Gilmore said: “If I get one vote, frankly, in Iowa, I’ll consider it a victory.” After the caucus, he declared victory — having received twelve votes.
Spoke to @gov_gilmore on defying expectations in Iowa.https://t.co/BGN81fiHng pic.twitter.com/2eBGYvtxTc — andrew kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) February 2, 2016
Despite predicting a surprising finish in New Hampshire, he received only 133 votes (0.5 percent) and trailed all of the other candidates who have already dropped out of the race: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.
Gilmore and former New York Governor George Pataki both entered the 2016 presidential race on the strength of their leadership in two states hit in the September 11, 2001 attacks. Gilmore was governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002, and chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001, but that was a long time ago.
Gilmore is the third — and likely last — victim of the New Hampshire primary. Following meager results in the Granite State, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina also suspended their campaigns, leaving only six remaining contenders: real estate tycoon Donald Trump, Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Ohio Governor John Kasich, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Maybe now you can remember all their names.
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