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Posted: January 19, 2008 9:40 PM
Hunter Exits Race, Winnowing GOP Field to 6
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California congressman Duncan Hunter announced Saturday night that he has abandoned his long-shot campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

“Today we end this campaign,” Duncan said according to an advance copy of remarks released to CNN. “I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it’s time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable.”

“The failure of our campaign to gain traction is mine and mine alone,” Hunter said in the statement, Reuters reported. “But we have driven the issues of national security, the border fence, the emergence of China and the need to reverse bad trade policy.”

Hunter’s message of border security failed to connect with voters in early nominating states. On Saturday, he languished with just triple-digit votes in Nevada’s caucuses. He finished seventh among GOP contenders in Iowa and New Hampshire.

In an interview with the NewsHour in September, Hunter touted a fence constructed on the U.S.-Mexico border in his congressional district near San Diego.

“When I built the double-border fence, the smuggling of illegal aliens and narcotics dropped by more than 90 percent in our sector,” he told Judy Woodruff. “And the crime rate in the city of San Diego, by FBI statistic, went down 50 percent.”

According to federal elections records, Hunter raised less than $1.8 million by the end of September, the Washington Post reported.

His departure leaves six people in the GOP race, but he’s still the top Republican on the powerful House Armed Services committee, CNN pointed out.

Hunter said he plans to return to Congress and work on immigration policy, according to Reuters.