Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) on Wednesday suspended his bid for the Democratic nomination, saying it was evident he was not going to be chosen, the Associated Press reported.
Inslee has made a name for himself by pushing Democrats to seriously talk about climate change, especially as we head into the 2020 election cycle.
"I believe we’re going to have a candidate to fight this battle [climate change],” Inslee told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. “I’m inspired by the people I’ve met across the country. I’m not going to carry the ball but we’re going to make sure somebody is.”
Instead of focusing on a presidential run, Inslee will announce his bid to run for re-election as governor. Those who are close to him told the AP he plans to make the announcement on Thursday in an email to those who have backed him.
Inslee was originally scheduled to be in New Hampshire to campaign. That event has been canceled. Instead, the governor will be in Seattle at a Planned Parenthood press conference. He will discuss the Title X family planning funding. Planned Parenthood recently dropped from the program after the Trump administration announced restrictions surrounding abortion referrals for those receiving money from the federal program.
Gov. Inslee is now the third 2020 Democrat to drop out of the race. Rep. Eric Swalwell (CA) dropped out of the primary last month. Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper called off his campaign last week.
BREAKING: Washington Governor Jay Inslee tells Rachel #Maddow that he is exiting the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race. pic.twitter.com/u8ZVlTjytM
— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) August 22, 2019