Oct. 9 (UPI) — Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd announced Monday he is dropping out of the 2024 Republican presidential race and will endorse Nikki Haley for the GOP nomination.
Hurd, a former CIA spy and three-term moderate Republican congressman who was a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump, is now the second candidate to drop out of the race.
“Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign,” Hurd wrote in his announcement Monday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “In 14 short weeks, my team and I matched the accomplishments of many of the other candidates in the race who had significantly higher name ID and cash advantage.”
In his announcement, Hurd also revealed he would endorse Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, for the Republican nomination.
“Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and navigate the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to our national security. I believe Ambassador Nikki Haley is the best person in this race to do that. 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. I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race,” Hurd said.
Hurd, who was the only Black Republican in the House when he announced his retirement in 2019, is the second Republican presidential candidate to suspend his campaign after Miami Mayor Francis Suarez dropped out of the race in August.
While Haley and other Republican hopefuls have participated in two debates, Hurd failed both times to reach the polling and donor thresholds set by the Republican National Committee for candidates to make the stage.
“When I first entered the Republican presidential primary field in June, I knew I was a dark horse candidate with a path to victory that would contain many obstacles,” Hurd admitted Monday before blasting Trump, and President Joe Biden’s record on inflation and illegal immigration.
“President Biden can’t solve these problems — or won’t,” Hurd warned. “And if we nominate a lawless, selfish, failed politician like Donald Trump — who lost the House, the Senate and the White House — we all know Joe Biden will win again.”
Republicans “need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President Biden,” Hurd said. “Americans deserve better than the rematch from hell.”
