Sen. Lindsey Graham drops out of presidential race

Recognizing that he couldn’t compete with the front-runners in the Republican presidential race, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced today the end of his campaign.

In an interview with CNN, Graham talked about the frustrations of trying to make his voice heard in the crowded Republican field. Graham has participated in all of the undercard debates—or the “kiddie table,” as he called them—for low-polling candidates.

“My biggest problem is a lot of people like what I say, but not a lot of people hear it,” he said. In a video message to supporters this morning, he reiterated his position on the need for more U.S. troops to combat the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) in Iraq and Syria, the main focus of his campaign.

“I got into this race to put forward a plan to win a war we cannot afford to lose and turn back the tide of isolationism that was rising in our party,” Graham said, noting many of the GOP candidates now share his position on fighting ISIS.

Graham, 60, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 after serving eight years in the House. He is a colonel in the Air Force Reserve.