WASHINGTON (CNN) - Rep. Dennis Kucinich will announce he is abandoning his long shot bid for the White House in a news conference Friday, his campaign confirms to CNN.
In an interview with the Cleveland Plain-Dealer earlier Thursday, the Ohio Democrat said he plans on “transitioning out of the Democratic Presidential primary race" to focus on a "new direction."
His spokesman tells CNN the former presidential candidate is now gearing up for his congressional re-election campaign. Kucinich faces four candidates in a Democratic primary for his seat on March 4, and has faced criticism for devoting much of his attention to running for president.
In his interview with the Plain-Dealer, Kucinich said he will give a much lengthier statement Friday.
This was Kucinich's second bid for the White House - he first ran in 2004. The latest CNN Poll showed him drawing 3 percent of support among registered Democrats nationally.
– CNN Ticker Producer Alexander Mooney
From CNN Politics
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I wonder if his brethren from the outer galaxies will be calling him home now? His wife can stay.
He is a good guy...
This is a sad day. It looks like the media has succeeded in getting rid of candidates that they don't approve of. The exclusion of candidates from debates and coverage of primaries is a stab in the heart to our democracy. Dennis Kucinich is a true patriot and American hero who puts the American people first and cares about our Constitution.
I want to let everyone know that sadly I too am going to have to drop out of the presidential race, appearantly there was never a snow balls chance in.....that I would ever win, so I have decided to no longer waste the time and money of my many supporters and will send my support to Sen Dodd instead.....wait, my staff just told me he too dropped out of the race. Well thanks to all thos who would of wasted their vote, I mean cast their vote for this campaign. Thank you and good night may & God Bless America!
A small glimmer of good news for immigration reform. Kucinich wanted to put Spanish on equal footing with English, and favored giving illegal immigrants a path to citizenship if they had been here for something like five years. Good riddance, Dennis The Menace.
Disheartening. Rep. Kucinich has an outstanding vision for America. Now we're left with identical generic ideas, just different wrappers (in either party).
Kucinich is the man. The only person running for the Democrats that voted against the Iraq War and the Patriot Act and No Child Left Behind, etc., etc. As Dennis himself said, "Imagine having a president who got it right the first time." Imagine. Dennis you rule, if I lived in Cleveland I'd vote for you everytime!
sORRY TO HEAR
As a Kucinich supporter, I can say that it is people like James and Matt who drive me away from supporting the Democratic party. Admittedly, Dennis does not have much nationwide support. This is evident because he routinely polls between three and five percent. Remember Florida Matt and James. How important was three to five percent then? The dismissive attitude towards supporters of lesser known candidates does not strengthen the party and will often drive people to choose alternative candidates to support. Instead of welcoming Dennis's supportes like Gorbashov, many still insist on maintaining the hubris that has led to the last two Democratic party defeats.
This is not American Idol. This is the future of this nation and the lives of all who are born, live, and die here. With Kucinich out of the race, and the option of voting for him off the ballot, in his own words: "we will get what we deserve."
This is a very sad day for those of us Democratic voters who refuse to sniff the handful of disaster being offered to us.
Shame on this media. Shame on this country.
That is truly a shame. His throngs of supporters will miss him. What will he do? What will he do? All that's left now is to go home. Home to that drop dead gorgeous, young wife. You lucky dog.
Sweet blue tee with the tie!
He's a loony, but I did like his views.
Just as well. Even if he'd gotten elected, the mother ship would have come back to pick him up before inauguration day
Ron Paul/ Dennis Kucinich Independents 2008! Wouldn't that be cool!!!!
The only true Democrat running for office is out. What a sad day for American politics.
The country wants to undo the damage that Bush did, but is too afraid to stand for what any of us actually care about. We're not ready for change at all.
God bless Dennis Kucinich.
Dennis Kucinich is a very smart man with good ideas. The country is just not ready for someone that is as honest as he is.
Keep on telling truth to the powers that be, Dennis. You are really a bright spot in a rather dull Congress.
Hello everybody! I like Mrs Clinton since she will send many manufacture jobs here, to Bangladesh. Thank you Hillary, for supporting free trade and many bush policies. it has helped us very very much. also, much thanks to getting many jobs here. the rupee is very strong now thanks to bill & hillary and bush, so sorry about your dollar though. thank you hillary for helping bangledeshis!
The entrenched powers and the media has had an agenda from the very beginning in not allowing Kucinich more media time. It's a real shame because Kucinich is a great man and the only candidate who has bravely stood against the powers that be and the corrupt conventional wisdom of the republican party. Stay strong Kucinich!
He represented the far-left of the democratic party. While I disagree with him on most of the issues having a range of candidates that represent the whole plethora of political views in America is healthy. I wish him well. It's interesting that Ron Paul said that the other candidate in the race who most remsembles his foreign policy ideas was Dennis. Paul is probably the most true conservative in the race and Kucinich is the most liberal its interesting to think their foreign policy ideas were similar.
The Anti-War, Pro-Gay Marriage, UFO Candidate came up short?? I wonder whom he will be endorsing?? My money says he'll push Shirley McClane to run as an Independent with a platform of supporting aliens – legal, illegal, or extraterrestrial.
Who are you kidding Sam?! Hillary will be in the race till the National Convention even if she is way behind Obama before the Convention. Hillary and Bill would rather "burn down" the Democratic Party than let Obama or Edwards win.
Obama is dropping out of the race. That would have been great headline
Coolcat, when was there ever any indication that Obama was dishonest?
Mr. Kucinich is doing the right thing. I have always felt that any candidate who doesn't really have a strong and serious shot at their party's nomination, should graciously drop out of the running. This is precisely what we need to see more of, so that no votes or delegates are wasted toward the more viable candidates.