Elizabeth Warren Drops Out of Presidential Race

By Gene Maddaus

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Sen. Elizabeth Warren has dropped out of the presidential race after failing to win any states, including her home state of Massachusetts, on Super Tuesday.

Warren informed her staff of her decision in a phone call on Thursday morning, in which she thanked them for their efforts and emphasized the campaign’s accomplishments.

“We didn’t reach our goal, but what we have done together – what you have done – has made a lasting difference,” she said. “I may not be in the race for President in 2020, but this fight — our fight — is not over. And our place in this fight has not ended.”

Speaking to press on Thursday morning, Warren said she would hold off on making an endorsement.

“Let’s take a deep breath and think about this,” she said.

Warren said that she had been told at the outset of the race that there are only two lanes in the Democratic primary — “a progressive lane that Bernie Sanders is the incumbent for, and a moderate lane that Joe Biden is the incumbent for, and there’s no room for anyone else in this.”

“I thought that wasn’t right,” she said. “But evidently I was wrong.”

Warren finished no better than third in any of the 14 states up for grabs on Tuesday, and she was in fourth in the two biggest states, Texas and California, finishing behind Michael Bloomberg.

Warren had been under pressure to get out of the race, as Sanders’ supporters hope to consolidate the left of the party. At an appearance on Thursday in Burlington, Vt., Sanders praised Warren’s campaign.

“She has run a very strong, issue-oriented campaign,” he said. “And the reason that her campaign ideas will remain viable for many, many years is she has changed political consciousness in America, which at the end of the day is the most important thing that any candidate could do.”

Warren surged to the top of the Democratic field last fall. Her proposals — including canceling student loan debt, universal child care, and a 2% wealth tax — set the policy agenda for much of 2019. But as she became a frontrunner, she was subjected to intensified scrutiny, especially on her plans to pay for Medicare-for-all.

Warren placed a big bet on Iowa, but finished third behind Pete Buttigieg and Sanders. She faded after that. A strong debate performance in Nevada — in which she pummeled Bloomberg while taking aim at several other rivals as well — was not enough to revive her campaign.

In recent days, Warren had urged supporters to ignore the prognostications and vote with their hearts. But in the end, it was Biden, and not Warren, who managed to pull off a miracle comeback.