Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson told supporters Wednesday that there is no "political path forward" for his presidential bid following last night's Super Tuesday results, and that he plans to skip tomorrow's Republican debate.
Carson did not win any of yesterday's nominating contests. He said in a statement he would discuss his political future at a prominent gathering of conservatives in Washington D.C. on Friday.
The news comes days after Carson shot down rumors that he was planning to drop out of the race. A portion of his statement:
However, this grassroots movement on behalf of "We the People" will continue....
I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C."
Carson secured 6.2 percent of the vote in yesterday's Georgia GOP primary, according to the Associated Press, well shy of the threshold for securing any of the state's 76 delegates. His strongest showing yesterday was in Alaska, where he won nearly 11 percent of the vote, the wire service said.
After an initial surge in the polls last year, Carson struggled to build much momentum during the primary season. With a low-key and quiet personality, he was often overshadowed in the Republican debates by his more bombastic competitors, including billionaire Donald Trump and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
A key focus of Carson's campaign was the evangelical community. He gave a sermon at Rock Springs Church in Milner, Ga., on Sunday, packing the venue as he discussed his life story, his faith, and vision for a country governed with more focus on Christian values.
“We must be willing to stand up for God’s principles. We now live in a nation that is trying to exclude God and godly principles, and the only way they can do that is if they can get us to sit down and shut up. I don’t think we should sit down and shut up,” Carson told the at-capacity crowd of roughly 1,300.
But in the end he was out-maneuvered in that community by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who staked out much of the same political ground, and Trump.
Carson at the moment is the only Super Tuesday casualty. He leaves behind four Republicans seeking the party's nomination.
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