Fiorina drops out of presidential race

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina exited the 2016 Republican presidential race Wednesday after finishing in seventh place in both Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary and last week’s Iowa caucuses.

“While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them,” Fiorina wrote in a statement posted on Facebook.

Fiorina, 61, entered the tumultuous race for the Republican nomination in April 2015. She promoted herself as an outsider with business experience—not exactly a unique position in a race against billionaire businessman Donald Trump. Fiorina also argued that as the lone woman in the GOP field she had the best shot at beating Hillary Clinton in the general election. After a standout performance in the first undercard debate, Fiorina rose to the main stage in September and won cheers of approval from the audience, especially after she made a withering attack on Planned Parenthood.

After daring Democratic contender Hillary Clinton to watch the Center for Medical Progress’ undercover videos, Fiorina forcefully added, “Watch a fully formed fetus on the table, its heart beating, its legs kicking, while someone says we have to keep it alive to harvest its brain. This is about the character of our nation, and if we will not stand up and force President Obama to veto this bill, shame on us.”

That debate became the high point of her campaign, which could not sustain its momentum as the year went on. ABC News’ decision to exclude Fiorina from last weekend’s debate added insult to her political injuries. Seven of the eight remaining top GOP candidates at the time were invited, but Fiorina didn’t make the cut, even though she finished ahead of Ohio Gov. John Kasich and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in the Iowa caucuses. On MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Fiorina lashed out at the decision: “I have been saying all along in this election the game is rigged, and now you see it in plain day.”

But today she took a more conciliatory tone toward politics.

“As I have said to the many wonderful Americans I have met throughout this campaign, a leader is a servant whose highest calling is to unlock potential in others,” she said. “I will continue to serve in order to restore citizen government to this great nation so that together we may fulfill our potential.”