'Were 11 points down:' Mike Duggan ends campaign bid for Michigan governor
Mike Duggan drops out of Governor's race
Duggan said the national political climate played a major role. He pointed to the war in Iran and rising gas prices, saying those issues have united Democrats and many independent voters. At the same time, his campaign was slipping in the polls, and he said fundraising challenges made it difficult to compete.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is announcing the end of his independent run for governor, news that’s sending shockwaves through Michigan’s political scene as the race heats up.
Big picture view:
Duggan cited low polling numbers and a lack of funding as the reasons for dropping out of the race. He said the decision came within the past 48 hours and that he no longer saw a path forward.
He spoke at a press conference packed with journalists and campaign supporters, some of whom were visibly emotional.
Mike Duggan ending bid for Michigan governor
Mike Duggan is ending his campaign for Michigan governor, which started following his exit a Detroit mayor.
What changed?
Duggan said the national political climate played a major role. He pointed to the war in Iran and rising gas prices, saying those issues have united Democrats and many independent voters.
At the same time, his campaign was slipping in the polls, and he said fundraising challenges made it difficult to compete.
"We had to deal with the reality that we were 11 points down and slipping," Duggan said. "The question was: do we have the resources to reach voters and explain that you can vote for Mike as an independent and still vote the rest of the ticket — it doesn’t have to change anything. We were dealing with the reality of fundraising. While I was proud that 94 percent of our money came from Michigan, we knew we had to build a national fundraising network. The Democrats have enormous resources — everybody knew that. There’s a lot of interest in independent campaigns, but as I’ve learned, funding for independent campaigns is still in its infancy."
What's next:
He was asked about the possibility of becoming the next President of the University of Michigan. Duggan said he has not spoken with anyone about any jobs.
He also said he is not endorsing anyone else in the governor’s race at this time.