Self-help author Marianne Williamson announced that she is dropping out of the Democratic Presidential Nomination race in what was considered a long-shot attempt to challenge Joe Biden for the party's candidacy.
In a statement announcing the development, Williamson said that she was hoping that future candidates will take what works for them. She added that she and her team brought to the table some great ideas for the betterment of the lives of Americans.
Marianne Williamson Suspends Presidential Run
The 71-year-old author contemplated suspending her presidential campaign last month after she won only 5,000 votes in the New Hampshire primary. She wrote that she had to decide whether now was the time for a dignified exit or she was supposed to continue on her campaign journey.
However, Williamson ultimately opted to commit to the campaign for two more primaries, where she won 2% of the vote in South Carolina and 3% in Nevada. During her Wednesday announcement, she said that her campaign had "articulated deeper, more authentic truths than those regularly acknowledged by the political establishment," as per The Guardian.
With her departure, Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips is the only remaining nationally known Democrat who is still running against Biden. The president has secured large victories in South Carolina and Nevada and was able to easily win New Hampshire, despite not being on the ballot.
Williamson, who is a Texas native who now lives in Beverly Hills, California, is the author of more than a dozen books and previously ran an unsuccessful independent congressional campaign in her new state in 2014.
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She first ran for president in 2020 and made national headlines by calling for a "moral uprising" against former United States President Donald Trump. At the time, she proposed the creation of a Department of Peace.
During her campaign, Williamson adopted most of the last presidential platform of Sen. Bernie Sanders. However, she struggled with raising enough money to fund her efforts as well as a lack of organization. Her campaign was in debt and more than a dozen disgruntled staffers have been left in its wake, according to Politico.
Challenging Joe Biden
The churn of the author's campaign staff was constant throughout her 2024 efforts, particularly during the early stages. There was a mix of firings and resignations that dwindled the operation to a skeleton staff that was mostly focused on in-person events in early voting states.
This time around, Williamson was able to poll higher and win more votes compared to her 2020 presidential run, which also faced staffing issues. However, she has failed to build a broader coalition to properly challenge Biden's claim to the nomination.
Williamson also expressed her gratitude to all the people who accompanied her on the political journey for the last 10 months. She said that while the level of their failure was obvious to all, there was also a level of success that was real.
She said that processing the experience itself will be an ongoing journey, noting that forgiveness will guide her as she moves through it. The author noted that she would not let the torment of possibilities tie her to the past, said CNN.
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