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Democrat Pete Buttigieg is dropping out of the 2020 presidential primary race, a senior campaign aide told CNBC.
He is flying to South Bend, Indiana, where he served as mayor for two terms, to make the announcement.
The Indiana Democrat waged an unlikely campaign that saw a little-known mayor overpower governors and U.S. senators in the race for the party nomination.
His decision to drop out of the race comes after former Vice President Joe Biden won a crushing victory in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, re-energizing a campaign that had flagged in the first three nominating contests in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Biden’s renewed momentum would make it difficult for Buttigieg to win over moderate voters moving forward into Super Tuesday. It also caused some financing trouble: In the wake of Biden’s victory, bundlers working for his campaign were able to lure some donors who had been backing Buttigieg, CNBC reported.
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