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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Thompson quits White House race | Thompson quits White House race |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Former US Senator Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race, after a string of poor finishes in early voting rounds. | Former US Senator Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race, after a string of poor finishes in early voting rounds. |
| "I have withdrawn my candidacy... I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," he said in a short statement. | |
| It follows his third place result in Saturday's South Carolina primary - a state he had said he needed to win. | It follows his third place result in Saturday's South Carolina primary - a state he had said he needed to win. |
| Mr Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. | Mr Thompson did not say whether he would endorse any of his former rivals. |
| He ended his statement by saying that he and his wife, Jeri, would "always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people". | |
| The actor-politician entered the race in September, months after his rivals had started campaigning. | |
| He leaves the Republican race wide open. | |
| Three candidates have each having won in the six states that have voted. |