Former GOP Rep. Mark Sanford said Tuesday he is ending his campaign for the White House, pulling the plug on what had been a long-shot primary challenge to President Trump.
Mr. Sanford had tried to emphasize the ever-growing national debt as a key theme of his campaign, but he decided to end the campaign just days ahead of the filing deadline for candidates to get on the New Hampshire primary ballot.
He said outside of the New Hampshire State House on Tuesday that the House Democrats’ impeachment inquiry into Mr. Trump has dominated attention in the 2020 race.
“In Republican circles, you cannot have a meaningful debate on what we do about that debt and deficit, what comes next financially in this country,” he told reporters. “Instead, it is red versus blue team and a complete debate about, are you on that team or the other team? End of story.”
Mr. Sanford, who announced in September he was getting into the race, said he had planned on filing paperwork for his candidacy in New Hampshire this week but that he will no longer do so.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld and former GOP Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois are two other high-profile primary challengers to Mr. Trump. The president has labeled the three men the “Three Stooges.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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