Lindsey Graham drops 2016 presidential bid

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced Monday that he is dropping out of the 2016 presidential race.

"I'm going to suspend my campaign," he told CNN. "I'm not going to suspend my desire to help the country."

Graham dominated several undercard Republican debates, but his lackluster polling numbers never qualified the hawkish senator for the main stage. Monday also marked the deadline for candidates to drop off of the primary ballot in his home state, as Politico notes.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"I regret that I haven't been a better candidate. I regret that I never got on the big stage. I regret that I didn't make it to the final group," Graham said. "But that's just about me. I have no regrets about running for president. It has been the joy of my life to run for president of the United States."