AP File/Seth Wenig
John Hickenlooper ended his presidential campaign Thursday morning the same way he started it: troubled by a divided nation and calling for unity.
“I ran for president because this country is being ripped apart by politics and partisan games while our biggest problems go unsolved,” Hickenlooper said in a video released at 11 a.m. Mountain Time. “Today, I’m ending my campaign for president. But I will never stop believing that America can only move forward when we work together.”
Hickenlooper, in his video announcement, also signaled a new openness to run for the U.S. Senate, despite previously rejecting the idea numerous times.
The former Colorado governor’s decision to drop his bid for the White House follows increased pressure from national Democratic leaders to abandon his presidential campaign in lieu of squaring off with U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner. The Yuma Republican is considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents up for re-election in 2020 in a Senate only narrowly held by the GOP.