Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has suspended his campaign for president after winning less than 2% of the vote in the Iowa caucus.
The former Arkansas governor announced that he was dropping out of the race on Twitter.
I am officially suspending my campaign. Thank you for all your loyal support. #ImWithHucK
— Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 2, 2016
Huckabee won the Iowa caucus in 2008, but his 2016 campaign failed to gain traction in the state.
With 84.5% of precincts having recorded their results, the Associated Press had Huckabee with just 1.76% of the vote.
Huckabee was governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He ran for president in 2008 and received 34% of the vote in Iowa. Mitt Romney came second with 25%.
Huckabee ended that campaign after it became apparent John McCain would win the nomination. His victory in Iowa in 2008, coupled with Rick Santorum’s victory there in 2012, has been seen as evidence that the state’s GOP voters tend to prefer a Christian social-conservative candidate. The victory is also evidence that the Iowa Republican caucus is not a strong indicator of who will win the GOP nomination. Santorum lost to Mitt Romney in 2008.
Senator Marco Rubio, who came third in the state, praised Huckabee in a speech to supporters.
“We have tremendous admiration for Governor Huckabee and we thank him for all he’s done,” Rubio said.
Donald Trump also recognized the former Arkansas governor. Speaking to supporters after he came second in Iowa to Ted Cruz, he praised his fellow Republican candidates, “including Mike Huckabee, who has become a really good friend of mine”.
