Author and self-help guru Marianne Williamson suspended her presidential campaign, she confirmed on Friday.
The presidential hopeful official suspended her White House bid on Friday — a move which follows rumors of her campaign laying off staffers:
“I stayed in the race to take advantage of every possible effort to share our message. With caucuses and primaries now about to begin, however, we will not be able to garner enough votes in the election to elevate our conversation any more than it is now,” Williamson announced.
“The primaries might be tightly contested among the top contenders, and I don’t want to get in the way of a progressive candidate winning any of them,” she continued.
“As of today, therefore, I’m suspending my campaign,” she added.
The former presidential hopeful expressed her “deepest gratitude” to supporters and stressed that the ideas they discussed are “important”:
From rescuing underserved, at risk and traumatized children; to proactively waging an agenda for peace and making humanity itself America’s greatest ally; to integrative health models within our health care system and incentivizing health; to reparations to achieve deeper reconciliation between races; to repudiating the corporate aristocracy; to the creation of a more mindful politics; to changing from an economic to a humanitarian bottom line; to initiating a season of moral repair—we brought issues to the fore that I hope contributed to the campaign season. I remain as committed to them going forward as I was on the day we began.
“I’m more convinced than ever that we’re a good and decent people, that democracy matters, and that what our country has always stood for is worth struggling for,” she said, promising to “continue in that struggle.”
Williamson also wished the remaining candidates the best and promised to be there “with all my energy and in full support” for whoever seals the nomination.
“Things are changing swiftly and dramatically in this country, and I have faith that something is awakening among us,” Willimason added, promising that “love will prevail.”
Williamson’s departure from the crowded Democrat field follows earlier rumors of a dwindling campaign. At the time, the author promised to stay in the race “as long as I feel a connection to voters.”