Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott announces he is dropping out of the 2024 race

(AP) - Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott announced late Sunday that he was dropping out of the 2024 race, about two months before the start of voting in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses.

The South Carolina senator made the surprise announcement on “Sunday Night in America” with Trey Gowdy. The news comes as Scott continued to struggle in the polls and just days after the third Republican primary debate, in which he again failed to break through.

His campaign spokesperson Nathan Brand confirmed the news to The Associated Press. Gowdy said after the interview that the announcement surprised him.

Scott, the Senate’s only Black Republican, announced his intention to run in May. He entered the race with more cash than any other Republican candidate but couldn’t find a lane in a field dominated by former President Donald Trump.