GOP Presidential Race Will Thin Further, Insiders Say

The Republican presidential race is witnessing a significant shift as five candidates have now opted out of the race. With former Vice President Mike Pence’s departure on Saturday, GOP insiders are predicting that more contenders will follow suit.

As longtime Republican strategist David Kochel puts it, this marks the beginning of a process of “winnowing” the field.

Veteran Republican consultant and media strategist Ari Fleischer, a Fox News contributor, emphasized that “consolidation is inevitable. It happens in every cycle… this field will shrink.”

Matt Brooks, CEO of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), echoed these sentiments, stating, “There’s no question others will follow suit. The question is one of timing.”

Pence, who had launched his bid for the presidency in early June, made the announcement during the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting, where major GOP White House hopefuls, including former President Donald Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), were in attendance.

“I came here to say it’s become clear to me that this is not my time. So, after much prayer and deliberation, I have decided to suspend my campaign for president, effective today,” he stated.

Committing himself to further involvement in politics, he added, “Now I am leaving this campaign, but let me promise you: I will never leave the fight for conservative values, and I will never stop fighting to elect principled Republican leaders to every office in the land, so help me God.”

The exit makes him the fifth candidate to suspend their campaign, with Larry Elder having made a similar announcement just last week, endorsing former President Donald Trump. He cited a thorough assessment of his campaign and the state of the race as the basis for his decision.

🚨Just in: Larry Elder has officially ended his campaign for President in 2024. Elder has officially endorsed President Trump for 2024. pic.twitter.com/yxDH1YxpEu

— The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) October 26, 2023

Before him, the GOP had witnessed the departures of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson, respectively.