Seeing no way forward after the Iowa Straw Poll, 2012 presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty pulls out of the race. After polling third, many saw him continuing on at least until the next debate.
(AssociatedPress) – Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
Pawlenty told supporters on a conference call Sunday morning that he would announce on ABC’s “This Week” that he was ending his campaign after a disappointing finish in the Iowa straw poll on Saturday.
The poll was a test of organizational strength and popularity in the state whose caucuses lead off the Republican nomination fight.
Pawlenty had struggled to gain traction in Iowa, a state he had said he must win, after laying the groundwork for a campaign for nearly two years.
He’s been eclipsed in polls in recent months by his Minnesota rival, congresswoman Michele Bachmann. She won the straw poll on Saturday.