Politics

Inslee drops out of Democratic race for President

Unlikely to qualify for the next debate among Democratic candidates for the White House, Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington State told supporters in an email on Wednesday night that he was dropping his bid for the Democratic Party's nomination for President, further thinning the field with just over five months until the first vote is cast.

"I want to share a tough decision with you," Inslee said to supporters, as he cited his top priority of climate change.

"But I've concluded that my role in that effort will not be as a candidate to be the next president of the United States," Inslee added.

Earlier in the week, Inslee touted that his campaign had hit 130,000 donors - one of the qualifying requirements for the next Democratic debate in Houston.

But Inslee had no chance to register at 2 percent or higher in four different polls, leaving him on the sidelines - and off the debate stage.

"As a result, I don't believe we can compete for the attention and exposure needed to have a reasonable shot at the nomination," Inslee said.