Republican Francis Suarez becomes the first to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, a move that comes after he failed to meet the requirements to attend the first GOP debate that was held last week.
The lawmaker's announcement was made on Tuesday as he is the only major Latino contender in the crowded Republican primary. In a statement, Suarez said that while he is dropping out of the presidential race, he is still committed to making the United States a better country for every American.
Francis Suarez To Continue Supporting Hispanic Community in US
The Miami mayor also said that he will continue to support the voices of the Hispanic community in the U.S., which is considered the fastest-growing voting group in the nation. He argued that the Left has taken Hispanics for granted for too long, which he said is the reason that so many of them are finding a home in the conservative movement, as per Fox News.
Suarez said that the GOP has to continue to do more to include and attract what he called a "vibrant community" that believes in the nation's foundational values. During an interview two weeks ago, he said that the presidential candidates who fail to make the first GOP debate should not stay in the race.
The Republican said that for someone like him, who is not very well known to voters outside of South Florida, it was crucial to attend the debate stage and make himself stand out. He argued that it would be very difficult to get to a higher threshold to make the second debate if a candidate was not even able to qualify for the first one.
He added that running for president has been one of the greatest honors of his life, noting that he will still be keeping in touch with the other Republican candidates and move forward with making sure that the GOP will have a strong nominee who will be able to inspire and unify the United States.
Francis Suarez Fails to Garner Support in Polls
Suarez' announcement to drop out of the presidential race comes after he was unable to garner meaningful support in the polls. The Miami mayor was elected to his second term in the position in 2021 and he has continued to tout the state's low crime rate and economic success, according to Politico.
However, the Miami mayor was facing criticism after a report that claimed he was hired by a developer to secure permits for a stalled real estate project while he was in office. Since then, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have launched investigations into the developer, identified as Rishi Kapoor, along with his business dealings in the state.
During his time as a candidate for the 2024 presidential race, Suarez acknowledged that he has not become as recognized as some of his GOP rivals. He said that his opponents in the primary have been national figures for several years and he has only been so for 60 days. He said that the situation had him competing from behind, said CNN.
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