Sen. Graham drops out of GOP presidential bid
Senator: Campaign made a difference
Sen. Lindsey Graham is dropping out of the presidential race, his campaign announced Monday.
Graham, a South Carolina Republican serving his third term, addressed his supporters in a video and an email.
“While we have run a campaign that has made a real difference, I have concluded this is not my time,” Graham said.
Graham’s focus on national security and fighting terrorism was influential in the overall primary debate, but he was not wellknown outside South Carolina or the Senate.
He failed to poll above single digits nationally or in the early voting states.
In a statement on Sidewire, a political news analysis app, Graham said, “While I am not prepared to make an endorsement, I will continue to speak out in support of candidates who share my commitment to defeating ISIL (the Islamic State) & solving our nation’s most difficult problems.”
Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee and chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said, “Republicans lost our most qualified, thoughtful, fearless and honest presidential candidate.
“Despite the disadvantages he faced in resources and debate opportunities, Lindsey’s message of serious statesmanship and problem-solving in public affairs, his forthright opposition to policies and attitudes that would endanger our country and reflect poorly on our party, and his genuine decency and humility won him many new admirers,” McCain said in a statement.
Graham stood out in the crowded GOP field by promoting his efforts at compromise with Democrats on issues such as reducing the federal debt and fixing immigration laws.