This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/americas/7203575.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| 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| Former US Senator Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race, after a string of poor finishes in early voting rounds. | Former US Senator Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race, after a string of poor finishes in early voting rounds.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| "I have withdrawn my candidacy...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. | "I have withdrawn my candidacy...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". | 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. | The actor-politician entered the race in September, months after his rivals had started campaigning. |
| The BBC's Vincent Dowd says the former star of the Law and Order TV series will have thought hard about whether the next Republican primary in Florida at the end of this month offered any hope of a revival - clearly he decided it did not. | |
| Even with Mr Thompson's departure the Republican race remains wide open, with three candidates each having won in the six states that have voted, our correspondent says. |