Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced Saturday that he is ending his presidential campaign, news that comes immediately after his less than stellar showing in the South Carolina primary.
"The people of Iowa and New Hampshire and South Carolina have spoken, and I really respect their decision, so tonight I am suspending my campaign," he told backers in the Palmetto State, according to NBC News.
Bush's campaign has been something of a roller coaster ever since he announced in December 2014 that he was considering a run at the White House. Officially joining the GOP field in June, accompanied by a speech where he declared "America deserves better," he was immediately declared a frontrunner and winning the Republican nomination was already foregone conclusion with many already groaning at the thought of a Bush-Clinton dynasty rematch.
On top of his legacy, Bush was backed with massive fundraising and the aid of his mother who campaigned for him early on. However, things turned out in a way that no one expected and he quickly fell out of contention, finishing sixth in Iowa and fourth in New Hampshire.
South Carolina was Bush's last chance to save his campaign, and he had been feverishly working toward that end. Not only did he consistently present himself as an experienced public executive and potential world statesman informed in part by his father and brother's wartime presidencies, but he also had ex-President George W. Bush, who enjoys a wealth of popularity in the Palmetto State, join his campaign for the first time in the week ahead of Saturday's primary, according to Associated Press.
However, these efforts weren't enough to earn him the support of South Carolina voters, and he found himself struggling just to earn a distant fourth place finish.
