Almost as quickly as it began, the presidential campaign of Miami Republican mayor Francis Suarez is over.
Suarez failed to qualify for the first Republican primary debate, which was held in Milwaukee last week.
The obscure mayor is the first candidate to drop out of the 2024 Republican primary, which has been completely overshadowed by President Trump.
During his short-lived campaign, Suarez emphasized the fact that he was the only Hispanic candidate in the race. In a post announcing the end of his campaign, he said he would "continue to amplify the voices of the Hispanic community - the fastest-growing voting group in our country."
"Our party must continue doing more to include and attract this vibrant community that believes in our country’s foundational values: faith, family, hard work and freedom."
Running for President of the United States has been one of the greatest honors of my life. This country has given so much to my family and me. The prospect of giving back at the highest levels of public service is a motivator if not a calling. Throughout this process, I have met…
— Mayor Francis Suarez (@FrancisSuarez) August 29, 2023
The mayor had stumbled out the gate when he revealed that he had never heard of the Uighurs during a radio interview with Hugh Hewitt.
Suarez did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020. But he was also critical of Ron DeSantis, calling the Florida governor's immigration crackdown a "headline grabber" devoid of substance.
While he wasn't vocal about criticizing Trump, Suarez showed clear differences with President Trump and his agenda - asserting that "we can't sort of teleport" illegal immigrants out of the country during a town hall in New Hampshire.
"They are law-abiding, despite what some of the rhetoric is out there."
The long-shot candidate used fundraising gimmicks to reach the donor threshold, but he didn't meet the polling requirements to qualify for the first debate.
Before dropping out, Suarez had said that candidates who don't qualify for the debates should end their campaigns.
“I’ve sort of always agreed with that. If you can’t meet the minimum thresholds, you shouldn’t be trying to take time and volume away from people that do,” Suarez said. “I don’t think candidates should just sort of linger around if they don’t have a credible path,” he added.
If nothing else, Suarez deserves credit for his consistency.
