Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Tuesday suspended his bid for the presidency and dropped out of the 2024 race after failing to qualify for the first Republican debate.

The two-term mayor became the first candidate to fall from the crowded Republican field. He launched his campaign just over two months ago as one of the last entrants in a primary race hitherto dominated by former President Trump.

While I have decided to suspend my campaign for president, my commitment to making this country a better nation for every American remains, he said in a statement.

He gave no endorsement, saying instead, I look forward to staying in touch with the other Republican presidential candidates and doing what I can to ensure that our party puts forward a strong candidate who can inspire and unite the country, and renew American confidence in the President. our institutions and in each other, and win.

Suarez, 45, was running for the first sitting mayor and first Latino-elected president.

The son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, Suarez, emphasized during the campaign his status as the only Latino candidate in the race and his experience leading the city of Miami, home to approximately 450,000 residents, and confronting crime and homelessness.

Suarez attended the Republican party’s first primary and said he could help the party further strengthen ties with Latinos. He went all out to increase his donor numbers to qualify for the debate by giving people the chance to grab front row tickets to see Argentina football legend Lionel Messi debut as a player for Inter Miami and receive a Bidenomics Relief $20 card in exchange for a $1 donation.

Suarez has been critical of Trump in the past and did not support him in the 2016 or 2020 presidential elections. But earlier this year, Trump’s former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway named Suarez as a possible vice presidential choice. And in the two months he campaigned, Suarez largely avoided direct criticism from Trump when asked about the charges facing the former president, saying he would consider pardoning Trump.

Suarez, meanwhile, turned out to be a critic of another presidential candidate, the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis, who dismisses some of the state laws he signed on immigration as empty headlines. He echoed Trump’s attacks, saying the governor doesn’t make eye contact and struggles with personal relationships with other politicians.

The mayor was questioned about his work for a developer seeking permits from the city after reports from the Miami Herald said the FBI was investigating these payments. The Miami-Dade County Commission on Ethics and Public Trust is investigating the allegations along with prosecutors.

The mayor began to fumble when asked on a radio program about the Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim group that China is accused of repressing. He said, ‘What is a Uyghur?’ He later said he did not recognize the statement.

And last week, Suarez told the Associated Press he qualified for last week’s debate, though senior advisers to the Republican National Committee who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity to share internal discussions said he didn’t meet the criteria. had fulfilled.

Candidates required to meet the polling and donor requirements set by the RNC: 1% minimum

support

in three high-quality national polls or a mix of national and early state polls and a minimum of 40,000 donors with

at least

200 in 20 or more states.