The last military veteran in the race to the White House ended his presidential campaign on Monday.
South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham makes the announcement the same day as the deadline to remove his name from the primary ballot for his hometown.
In contrast to his peers, Senator Graham was the most outspoken proponent of boots on the ground to fight Isis — at one point he urged 10,000 US troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
“I want to thank everyone who has taken this journey with me. You have honored me with your support,” Senator Graham said in a prepared statement.
The veteran had failed to reach above 1 per cent in the polls for some time following the rise of rivals Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Marco Rubio.
“This is a generational struggle that demands a strategy and the will to win. I will continue to work every day to ensure that our party – and our nation – takes on this fight,” he said.
“I’m suspending my campaign, but never my commitment to achieving security through strength for the American people.”
