By Dan Merica and Donald Judd, CNN
Updated 7:32 PM ET, Sun March 1, 2020
Washington (CNN)Pete Buttigieg will exit the Democratic presidential race on Sunday, multiple aides tell CNN, ending an campaign that vaulted the once-unknown mayor from South Bend, Indiana, to a top presidential contender.
Buttigieg’s run was historic. He is the first openly gay man to launch a competitive campaign for president, and he broke barriers by becoming the first gay candidate to earn primary delegates for a major party’s presidential nomination.
After initial success in Iowa and New Hampshire, Buttigieg’s campaign struggled to win over voters of color, a key base to the Democratic Party, hurting his performance in Nevada and South Carolina, two states where Buttigieg finished significantly behind the race’s frontrunners.
Buttigieg was scheduled to fly from Selma, Alabama, to Dallas, Texas, on Sunday, but during the flight he informed reporters that he would be flying back to his hometown of South Bend to make an announcement on the future of his campaign. That announcement, aides said, is that he is ending his run.
Buttigieg made the decision on Sunday, aides said, after he struggled to compete in South Carolina’s primary and had little path toward success on Super Tuesday.
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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/01/politics/buttigieg-campaign/index.html