Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson says that even though he finished eighth in the New Hampshire presidential primaries this week and fourth in the Iowa caucuses, he doesn't plan on dropping out of the 2016 race as long as he has the support of "we the people."
"I still have millions of supporters. ...We have a lot of people who continue to make donations, and they're saying, 'Please, please, please, please don't drop out. Please stay in, because your strong states are going to be coming up,'" Carson said in an interview that aired Wednesday on Fox News' "Hannity," reported The Washington Times.
"And I believe that to be the case. I believe you will see a significant improvement right here in South Carolina, and the more times we have an opportunity to get in front of audiences and actually explain what our policies are, it makes a huge difference," he said.
Carson, who performed worse than all other candidates in New Hampshire, devoted far less time and resources to the state than other candidates, only spending $575,000 on broadcast, cable and radio advertising, according to The Morning Consult. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who spent $18.5 million and finished sixth, and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, who spent $1.8 million and finished seventh, dropped out of the race on Wednesday due to their dismal showings in the first-in-the-nation primary state.
Carson said in the interview that "you have to pick your battles" and that he believes "that our message is going to resonate extremely strongly here in South Carolina, and in a number of other states that are coming up in the relatively near future as well."
Other candidates are running for office for "their own personal reasons," Carson said, adding, "but I was petitioned by the people - I'm a member of 'we the people.' And as long as I have the support of 'we the people,' I will continue to go, particularly with them saying please don't drop out."
Before the polls had even closed in New Hampshire on Tuesday, Carson hopped on a plane bound for South Carolina, where he currently sits in fifth place in Real Clear Politics' average of polls.
