Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina Exit GOP 2016 Race

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced on Wednesday afternoon following the New Hampshire Primary that they were withdrawing from the presidential race.

Christie said after the New Hampshire Primary results came in that he was was headed home to New Jersey to reassess his campaign. It was speculated that he would suspend his campaign and he made that official on Facebook.

I ran for president with the message that the government needs to once again work for the people, not the people work for the government. And while running for president I tried to reinforce what I have always believed – that speaking your mind matters, that experience matters, that competence matters and that it will always matter in leading our nation. That message was heard by and stood for by a lot of people, but just not enough and that’s ok. I have both won elections that I was supposed to lose and I’ve lost elections I was supposed to win and what that means is you never know what will happen. That is both the magic and the mystery of politics – you never quite know when which is going to happen, even when you think you do. And so today, I leave the race without an ounce of regret. I’m so proud of the campaign we ran, the people that ran it with me and all those who gave us their support and confidence along the way. Mary Pat and I thank you for the extraordinary display of loyalty, friendship, understanding and love.

Fiorina did not give any indication Tuesday night, but she also suspended her campaign earlier in the afternoon and made this statement:

This campaign was always about citizenship—taking back our country from a political class that only serves the big, the powerful, the wealthy, and the well connected. Election after election, the same empty promises are made and the same poll-tested stump speeches are given, but nothing changes. I’ve said throughout this campaign that I will not sit down and be quiet. I’m not going to start now. While I suspend my candidacy today, I will continue to travel this country and fight for those Americans who refuse to settle for the way things are and a status quo that no longer works for them.

Our Republican Party must fight alongside these Americans as well. We must end crony capitalism by fighting the policies that allow it to flourish.  We must fix our festering problems by holding our bloated, inept government bureaucracy accountable.  Republicans must stand for conservative principles that lift people up and recognize all Americans have the right to fulfill their God-given potential.

To young girls and women across the country, I say:  do not let others define you. Do not listen to anyone who says you have to vote a certain way or for a certain candidate because you’re a woman. That is not feminism. Feminism doesn’t shut down conversations or threaten women. It is not about ideology. It is not a weapon to wield against your political opponent. A feminist is a woman who lives the life she chooses and uses all her God-given gifts. And always remember that a leader is not born, but made.  Choose leadership.    

As I have said to the many wonderful Americans I have met throughout this campaign, a leader is a servant whose highest calling is to unlock potential in others.  I will continue to serve in order to restore citizen government to this great nation so that together we may fulfill our potential.

The Republican field has now narrowed to real estate mogul Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ohio Governor John Kasich, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson.