On Monday night, former Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) became the second candidate to drop out of the presidential primary. He follows Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who dropped out in late August after he failed to qualify for the first RNC debate. Not only had Hurd not qualified for the debates, he also had criticized the requirement for qualifying candidates to sign a loyalty pledge indicating he would support the ultimate nominee.
Hurd sent out an email statement about his decision, and also issued a lengthy post from his X account. In dropping out, Hurd spoke out against former and potentially future President Donald Trump, the frontrunner in the race. He also endorsed former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Inbox: Will Hurd Suspends Presidential Bid, Calls on GOP Candidates to Consolidate Against Trump
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) October 9, 2023
Hurd also endorsed Nikki Haley saying she articulated a “different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unmatched grasp on the complexities of our foreign policy.” pic.twitter.com/AruJof0QRa
When I first entered the Republican presidential primary field in June, I knew I was a dark horse candidate with a path to victory that would contain many obstacles. But as I traveled across the country, I met so many Americans who believed in my campaign’s message of unity and…
— Will Hurd (@WillHurd) October 9, 2023
The former congressman, in acknowledging that his campaign only lasted 14 weeks, noted that he "my team and I matched the accomplishments of many of the other candidates in the race who had significantly higher name ID and cash advantage. I am honored to have had the support of the people who made this possible." Not only did Hurd not qualify for the debates, his polling numbers were often below 1 percent.
"While I appreciate all the time and energy our supporters have given, it is important to recognize the realities of the political landscape and the need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President Biden. I urge donors, voters, and other candidates to unite around an alternative candidate to Trump. Otherwise, we will repeat the same errors as in 2016. If the Republican party nominates Donald Trump or the various personalities jockeying to imitate his divisive, crass behavior, we will lose," he said, speaking out against both frontrunners in the race. His statement letter went on to refer to the likely 2024 matchup as "the rematch from hell."
When it comes to that tactic of "unit[ing] around an alternative candidate to Trump," Hurd is hardly the only one to make such a suggestion. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal in July calling on donors to help narrow the amount of candidates by asking that they encourage those who don’t win the early primary contests to drop out.
"Donors who are backing someone with a slim chance of winning should seek a commitment from the candidate to drop out and endorse the person with the best chance of defeating Mr. Trump by Feb. 26," Romney’s column read at one point.
The idea behind such a tactic would be to deny Trump the chance to win the nomination with only a plurality of support.
Hurd's endorsement for Haley came at the end of the post. "Our nation deserves a leader who can unite us and navigate the complex challenges we face, particularly when it comes to our national security," he wrote. "I believe Ambassador Nikki Haley is the best person in this race to do that. Ambassador Haley has shown a willingness to articulate a different vision for the country than Donald Trump and has an unmatched grasp on the complexities of our foreign policy. I wholeheartedly endorse Ambassador Haley and look forward to supporting her for the remainder of this race."
"Will Hurd" has been trending over X as a result of his move to drop out of the race. Approximately a half hour later, Haley responded by thanking Hurd in a post of her own.
America is at a crossroads and it's time to come together and make Joe Biden a one-term president.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 9, 2023
Thank you @WillHurd for your support and confidence. We have a country to save! https://t.co/lLDg0NegMd
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