Democratic presidential candidate Bill Richardson dropped his
bid for the party's nomination on Thursday, leaving only three
major players in the battlefield.
"It is with great pride, understanding and acceptance that I am
ending my campaign for president of the United States," he told
supporters in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
"It's been an exhilarating and humbling year. An experience I
will treasure and I will never forget."
The 60 year-old New Mexico governor who was vying to become the
first Hispanic U.S. president, won only 5 percent of the Democratic
votes in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8 and 2 percent in the
Iowa caucuses.
Richardson refused to endorse any one of the three candidates
left in the campaign -- Barack Obama, Hillary Rodham Clinton and
John Edwards, who are fighting to clear their paths to the
nomination and then the White House.
"At this time I will not endorse any candidate," the governor
said. "And all I ask of the candidates is that they do not resort
to personal attacks to win the nomination. Our country and our
party deserve better than that."
Richardson, who was born by a Mexican mother, grew up in Mexico
City but received his high school and college education in the
United States.
He was elected to a second term as New Mexico governor in 2006.
Prior to that, he served from 1982-1997 in the House of
Representatives, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and Energy
Secretary in President Bill Clinton's administration
Although losing his presidential bid, Richardson was mentioned
as a vice president candidate or state secretary potential if
Democrats win over the White House.
(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2008)
