Republican businessman Perry Johnson suspended his long-shot bid for president on Friday after failing to gain traction in the race.
Johnson said the fact that he wasn’t permitted to participate in the debates played a major role in his decision.
He accused the Republican National Committee of using “authoritarian power” to keep him off the debate stage at both debates. The RNC has contended that he simply didn’t meet the necessary polling and donor qualifications.
Still, Johnson filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission after failing to qualify for the first GOP presidential debate in August, claiming that he was left off the stage not because he hadn’t met the polling and donor qualifications but because he was “a political outsider.”
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the people should decide the next president of the United States, not the head of the RNC and her cronies,” Johnson wrote in a statement. “With no opportunity to share my vision on the debate stage, I have decided at this time, suspending my campaign is the right thing to do.”
He is the third Republican candidate to pause or end his campaign in a primary contest. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez suspended his campaign in August, and former Texas congressman Will Hurd dropped out earlier this month to endorse a rival candidate, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
In the polls, former President Donald Trump holds a commanding lead over all other Republicans and refuses to participate in the debates.
Some candidates, like Haley, have seen a bump in polls after each debate.
This wasn’t Johnson’s first attempt to run for political office. He was considered a top GOP candidate for Michigan governor last year before he and four other Republican hopefuls were disqualified because of invalid signatures.
The businessman earned a fortune as an expert in quality control. He started Michigan-based Perry Johnson Registrars Inc., which certifies if businesses are meeting industrial standards.
Johnson spent money earlier this year to run an ad during the Super Bowl targeting voters in Iowa, the first state to vote on the GOP presidential field. In the ad, he touted his Two Cents Plan, a proposal to cut federal spending by 2% every year.
He announced his presidential bid in early March shortly after speaking at the opening day of the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. On Twitter, he said he wanted to “bring quality to the government with my #TwoCents Plan.”
Johnson said in the statement that he is “100% committed to helping Republicans win across the country in 2024… especially in my home state of Michigan.” He has yet to endorse any of his rivals.
Take a look —
Perry Johnson released a statement on Friday: pic.twitter.com/OU5PIzLLVu
— Perry Johnson (@PJQualityGuru) October 20, 2023
I’ve said it since day one: our number one objective in 2024 is to #FireBiden!
I am prepared to not only debate in Milwaukee Wednesday, but am ready to take on @JoeBiden and his miserable record in the fall.
Officially signed the RNC’s Beat Biden Pledge today! pic.twitter.com/7qOx6lQy9f
— Perry Johnson (@PJQualityGuru) August 21, 2023
The Associated Press contributed to this article.