Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard suspended her presidential campaign and endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden on Thursday, CNN reports.
Gabbard, the last remaining woman in the race, said she would end her presidential bid after Biden continued his winning streak with big margins in Florida, Illinois, and Arizona on Wednesday. Biden has won 19 of the last 24 primaries.
Gabbard said that the coronavirus also contributed to her exit from the race.
"I feel that the best way I can be of service at this time is to continue to work for the health and wellbeing of the people of Hawaii and our country in Congress, and to stand ready to serve in uniform should the Hawaii National Guard be activated," she said.
Gabbard, an Iraq War veteran, won just two delegates in American Samoa as her campaign was beset by criticism of her rhetoric on Syria, her feud with Hillary Clinton, and her stance on Rusia.
During her campaign, Gabbard filed lawsuits against Clinton for tying her to Russia and sued Google for briefly suspended her ads.
Tulsi backs Biden:
Gabbard, who was a staunch supporter of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in 2016 and quit her position at the Democratic National Committee after accusing it of working against Sanders’ campaign, threw her support behind Biden this time around.
"I know Vice President Biden and his wife and am grateful to have called his son Beau, who also served in the National Guard, a friend," Gabbard said in a statement. "Although I may not agree with the Vice President on every issue, I know that he has a good heart and is motivated by his love for our country and the American people."
Biden praises Tulsi:
“Tulsi Gabbard has put her life on the line in service of this country and continues to serve with honor today," the former vice president said on Twitter. "I'm grateful to have her support and look forward to working with her to restore honor and decency to the White House."
