In a move that shakes up the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, former Vice President Mike Pence announced that he’s pulling out of the contest.
Speaking at the annual Republican Jewish Coalition convention, Pence told the crowd, “I came here to say it’s become clear to me this is not my time. So after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president effective today.”
This decision is a big deal because it leaves the field more open for other GOP contenders. Pence started his campaign back in early June and had been campaigning hard.
He visited key early-voting states like Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina to make his case to voters. But despite his best efforts, his campaign failed to gain traction.
Recent polls showed him in the mid to low single digits, and he was having a hard time raising money. “You know, we always knew this would be an uphill battle, but I have no regrets,” Pence said while making his announcement in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Interestingly, Pence didn’t throw his support behind any of the other Republican candidates still in the race, leaving everyone guessing where his voters might go.
After Pence spoke, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took the stage but didn’t mention the former Vice President’s big news. He later made a statement on social media.
“Vice President Mike Pence is a principled man of faith who has worked tirelessly to advance the conservative cause,” DeSantis said followed by well wishes.
Nikki Haley, former U.N. Ambassador and South Carolina Governor, who followed DeSantis in the speaking lineup praised Pence.
“I want to first say just a special point to Vice President Mike Pence. He’s been a good man of faith. He’s been a good man of service. He has fought for America, and he has fought for Israel. And we all owe him a debt of gratitude,” Haley said to applause from the crowd.
Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who also spoke at the event, later released a statement saying, “The Vice President has been a prayer partner, a friend, and a man of integrity and deep conviction. The Republican Party is stronger today because of Mike’s leadership.”
Pence was Donald Trump’s Vice President from 2016 to 2020. But things changed after the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. Some rioters even chanted, “hang Mike Pence,” for his refusal to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.
Pence has repeatedly said he did the right thing that day, based on the Constitution. But that decision strained his relationship with Trump and didn’t sit well with Trump’s most loyal followers.
Chris Christie made a back-handed reference to the event as he chimed in on Pence’s departure with a clear jab at former President Donald Trump.
“Mike Pence stood for the constitution of the United States. He deserves our thanks as Americans for putting his oath of office and the Constitution of the United States before personal and political pressure,” Christie said.
This exit is historically significant too. Pence is the first Vice President in nearly 80 years to run against his former boss and then drop out.
The last time something like this happened was in 1940 when then-Vice President John Nance Garner tried to run against President Franklin Roosevelt and lost.
During his campaign, Pence did try to distinguish himself from Trump, particularly in how he spoke and interacted with people. “People around the country want us to see us restore a threshold of civility in our political debate,” Pence said.
“You can disagree without being disagreeable. People that know me know I take very strong stands. I’m conservative, but I’m not in a bad mood about it,” he continued.
Mike Pence’s withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race certainly shrinks the pool. The very fact that he did not support any of the remaining candidates leaves his supporters up for grabs.
While Trump remains the strong front-runner, his future is very tenuous with his many court proceedings going on during the election cycle.
Republicans are still rife with challenges as uniting the party still divided over the Trump era, remains elusive as witnessed in the House Speaker election.
It’s anyone’s guess how this will all play out as the GOP aims to keep the House, win the Senate and win back the White House.
