Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore — the winner of just 12 votes in Iowa and 133 votes in New Hampshire — said Friday he is dropping out of the Republican race for the White House.
Gilmore, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, struggled for attention in the campaign. He was only invited to two undercard debates, never polling well-enough to make any of the primetime televised showdowns.
In a statement announcing his withdrawal, Gilmore said “the difficulty of the debate structure combined with the national media coverage of the candidates made it impossible for him to continue his campaign for the presidency.”
“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,” he 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.” (RELATED: Jim Gilmore’s Delusions Of Grandeur In Manchester)
Gilmore’s exit leaves just six Republicans left in the race: Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, [crscore]Ted Cruz[/crscore], John Kasich, [crscore]Marco Rubio[/crscore] and Donald Trump.
But Gilmore can boast of staying the race longer than a host of other well-known Republicans, including Chris Christie, [crscore]Rand Paul[/crscore], Mike Huckabee, Rick Santorum, Carly Fiorina, [crscore]Lindsey Graham[/crscore], Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Scott Walker.