Lindsey Graham drops out of 2016 presidential race

“I don’t want to be the undercard voice”, Graham said, adding it has been frustrating being “put at the kiddie table”. Graham will likely be a highly sought-after endorsement for those still in the race, though he’s given no indication of who he would back.

It was a privilege to support my dear friend @LindseyGrahamSC – thank you for all you have done for the country you love & serve so well! His solution to gridlock in Washington: “We’re going to drink more”.

That means candidates like Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio could stand to benefit in a race where Donald Trump holds a 19-point lead over second-place contender Ted Cruz, according to the latest Fox News South Carolina poll.

The Post and Courier newspaper in Charleston, S.C. reported today that Graham’s biggest hurdle was not making it to the top tier of televised debates and that as a result, his poll numbers remained low. Graham was potentially facing an embarrassing loss in his home state and now has the leverage of endorsing one of his fellow GOP candidates. He registered below 1 percent in most national polls and in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll of the Republican field.

Graham’s exit is expected to cause a realignment of GOP support in the Palmetto State.

Senator Graham has an incredibly strong and loyal grassroots network in SC.

“You can care about retail politics and you can execute retail politics, but it doesn’t change who you are and how people perceive your candidacy”, said Dennehy, who called Graham “an awesome person”.

“We’re witnessing the death and rebirth of the Republican Party”, he said. While he never made the main stage debates, he did raise his profile some – and now has “presidential candidate” on his resume. Of all the GOP candidates, Graham is the only one with experience in the armed service. As USA Today notes, Arizona Sen.

Graham was running on a platform that focused on national security, fighting terrorism, and conservative values – but his name didn’t carry much clout in a race that is rewarding the outspoken.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s (R) campaign also touted at least two Graham converts only minutes after the senator’s public announcement. In the Las Vegas debate spin room, after what will have been his last “undercard” performance, Graham said that he would push at least through the New Hampshire primary.

But many leading South Carolina Republicans who had pledged support to Graham now suddenly find themselves searching for a new candidate.