The South Carolina lawmaker was sixth among Republican candidates.
US Senator Tim Scott has withdrawn from the 2024 Republican presidential race after failing to surpass 10% in the polls.
Scott, the only black Republican in the Senate, told Fox News on Sunday night that he suspended his campaign based on feedback from voters.
“I am suspending my campaign. I think the voters, who are the greatest people on the planet, were very clear in telling me, ‘Not now, Tim,'” he said on Sunday Night in America.
Scott also ruled out the possibility of joining one of his rivals’ campaigns as a vice presidential candidate, saying that “being vice president was never on my to-do list for this campaign, and that’s certainly not the case now.”
Scott, who entered the race in May, was sixth among Republican primary candidates with just 2.5 percent of the vote, according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent polls.
The 58-year-old South Carolina lawmaker has presented himself as a staunch conservative with an optimistic outlook who can heal deep political divisions in the United States.
Scott’s departure comes as a relatively populous Republican field struggles to dent the popularity of former President Donald Trump, who is well ahead of his competitors despite four criminal charges.
Scott is the second major candidate to leave the race in recent weeks. Former Vice President Mike Pence, who served under Trump, suspended his campaign at the end of last month.
Scott declined Sunday to immediately endorse any of his Republican rivals.
“I’m going to recommend that voters study each candidate and their candidacies and frankly their past and make the best decision for the future of their country,” he said.
“The best way for me to be helpful is to not weigh in on who they should support.”
