Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ends short-lived presidential bid

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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on Tuesday pulled the plug on his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, making him the first casualty of the 2024 contest.

Mr. Suarez, the sole Hispanic candidate in the race, was considered a long-shot since he entered the crowded field in June, and his failure to qualify for the first Republican presidential debate last week effectively finished him.

“While I have decided to suspend my campaign for president, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains,” the 45-year-old said.

Mr. Suarez said he plans to stay involved, lamenting that the Biden administration is “failing” the nation at home and abroad.

“We deserve better,” the mayor said. “I look forward to keeping in touch with the other Republican presidential candidates and doing what I can to make sure our party puts forward a strong nominee who can inspire and unify the country, renew Americans’ trust in our institutions and in each other, and win.”

Mr. Suarez anchored his campaign on the idea that offered something fresh. He said his big electoral victories in Miami showed he could help the GOP make inroads in urban areas and connect with young and Hispanic voters.

He said Democrat-led cities mired with problems could learn from the low-tax, pro-law enforcement policies that helped spur Miami’s booming economy and make it a hub for innovation.

But Mr. Suarez, the son of Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, struggled to make inroads with voters in Iowa and New Hampshire, where former President Donald Trump has maintained large leads in the polls over his closest rival, Gov. Ron DeSantis, also of Florida.

Mr. Suarez faced what proved to be insurmountable hurdles of having to introduce himself to voters and raise his national profile enough to meet the thresholds the Republican National Committee established to participate in the Milwaukee debate.

His campaign claimed before the debate to have hit the polling and donor thresholds to win a spot on stage, but that turned out not to be the case. He reached the donor requirement after offering gift cards for donations and fell short in polling.

In retrospect, Mr. Suarez predicted his own demise after telling reporters at this month’s Iowa State Fair that candidates should take a hike if they miss out on the first debate.

“I agree that if you can’t meet the minimum thresholds, you shouldn’t be trying to take the time involved away from being productive,” Mr. Suarez said at the time.

Ammar Moussa, spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said, “One fewer Republican who wants to ban abortion nationwide. Too bad the rest of the field is just as extreme. Good riddance.”