Campaign

Dem Richard Ojeda drops out of presidential race

West Virginia state Sen. Richard Ojeda (D) ended his 2020 presidential campaign Friday, saying it would be difficult to continue to ask people to donate to a campaign with little chance of success.

“I don’t want to see people send money to a campaign that’s probably not going to get off the ground,” Ojeda said in a video posted by the Young Turks.

{mosads}”I want you to know though that my fight does not end,” he continued. “I may not have the money to make the media pay attention but I will continue raising my voice and highlighting the issues the working class, the sick and the elderly face in this nation. I expect to have an announcement very soon about what my next steps will be.”

Ojeda, a former Army paratrooper who led the state’s teachers’ strike last year, had declared his intention to run for president in November.

Ojeda drew criticism for voting for Donald Trump for president in 2016 then repeatedly criticizing him.

He ran for Congress in 2018, but lost his bid to represent West Virginia’s 3rd Congressional District to Republican Carol Miller.