Tim Pawlenty Drops Out

After finishing in 3rd place in the Iowa Straw Poll former Minnesota Govenor Tim Pawlenty is dropping out of the race.

In a Sunday morning conference call with supporters, Pawlenty said, “We cannot envision a path forward to victory, and so therefore we made a decision to end the campaign.”

Pawlenty expected to get a boost from the Iowa straw poll results for his struggling campaign. As he stated on “This Week”, “We needed to get some lift to continue on and have a pathway forward. That didn’t happen, so I’m announcing this morning on your show that I’m going to be ending my campaign for president.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, also a Presidential candidate, release this comment on Pawlenty’s decision:

This morning I spoke with Governor Pawlenty to express my respect and admiration for him, and to wish him and his family well. Running for the presidency requires enormous self-sacrifice. Governor Pawlenty brought an important voice and ideas to the campaign, and he served the people of Minnesota and our country well. Our party and our country are better as a result of his service and commitment.