Scott Walker ends presidential campaign after swift fall from top

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, the 2016 presidential candidate who spent the early months of this year leading many public opinion polls, is ending his campaign for the GOP nomination, he said in an announcement Monday evening. His showing in the first two Republican debates, widely seen as lackluster, led to a sharp decline his poll numbers and, reportedly, in his fundraising.

"The Bible is full of stories about people who are called to be leaders in unusual ways," he said at a press conference with reporters in Madison. "Today I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive, conservative message can rise to the top."

In his brief address, he said the GOP nominating process has become too consumed by personal attacks and infighting instead of focusing on a positive message, explicitly referring to the political style of front-runner Donald Trump. Walker encouraged other low-performing candidates to drop out so Republican primary voters could have a clearer alternative to Trump.

"I will suspend my campaign immediately," Walker said. "I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner."

He became a hero among U.S. conservatives in 2011 when, shortly after taking office, he successfully led the charge to strip the state’s public sector unions of their collective bargaining rights, despite weeks of tumultuous protests at the state Capitol in Madison. He survived a well-funded recall effort in 2012 and was re-elected as governor last fall — his third victory in four years.

As he laid the groundwork for a presidential campaign earlier this year, Walker impressed Republican voters and donors with a record of conservative accomplishments, including enacting a ban on abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, signing legislation that turned the union stronghold of Wisconsin into a right-to-work state, cutting $2 billion in taxes, slashing the state budget and taking on the state universities’ tenure system.

Still, after a strong start, he faltered during his presidential bid, suffering most after the entrance of business mogul Donald Trump, whose brash interpretation of conservative populism and positioning as a political outsider seemed to knock Walker off his stride.

Walker struggled to form a coherent, consistent message on immigration and birthright citizenship. He disavowed his earlier support for a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants and even said he would consider building a wall on the U.S.-Canada border. He similarly faltered in answering questions about foreign policy, relating most of his positions back to his stand against unions — an often awkward pairing. And his two weak performances on the crowded prime-time debate stage led critics to charge that he lacked charisma and energy.  

In the most recent CNN poll, his support was at less than 0.5 percent — a roughly 16 point drop from the candidate’s high water mark. April polling had Walker virtually tied with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush at the top of national surveys of Republican voters.

In recent weeks, Walker struggled to come up with the fundraising to sustain the expansive infrastructure that his campaign built in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early primary states. The financial shortfall led to the decision to drop out, only two months after officially entering the race, The New York Times reported.

The exit seems to be another blow to establishment Republicans, who have rooted for candidates with experience in elected office as a counterweight to candidates like Trump and neurosurgeon Ben Carson.

Walker’s critics in organized labor were quick to weigh in on the campaign’s collapse.

“Scott Walker is still a disgrace,” tweeted Richard Trumka, the president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest labor federation. “Just no longer national.”