Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay US presidential candidate from a major party, on Monday officially ended his campaign to be the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November's election.
"Our goal has always been to help unify Americans to defeat Donald Trump," he told supporters.
"We must recognize that at this point in the race the best way to keep faith with those goals... is to step aside and help bring our party and our country together. So tonight I am making the difficult decision to suspend my campaign for the presidency."
Thank you for inviting me into your homes, sharing your stories, and putting your trust in me. We launched our campaign because Americans are hungry for a new kind of politics that brings us together.
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) March 2, 2020
And together we'll beat this president and build the era that must come next. pic.twitter.com/QDajvx1lpL