John Delaney Drops Out of Democratic Primary Ahead Iowa Caucuses

Former Maryland Rep. John Delaney, the first Democrat to enter the 2020 race, ended his bid to become the Democratic presidential candidate just days before the Iowa caucuses. He launched his campaign in July 2017 but languished in nationwide polls. According to an aggregate of polls, Delaney, with less than 1 percent of the vote, is in twelfth place nationally.

“It's clear to me on Monday, on caucus night, I will not have sufficient support to get to the 15% viability threshold … that is needed to get delegates out of Iowa,” Delaney told CNN's John Berman on “New Day.”

John Delaney drops out of the 2020 Democratic primary race ahead of Iowa caucuses https://t.co/sXIdk6kkDi

— Jan☭ (@GodandtheBear) January 31, 2020

Fox Business explained that Delaney’s campaign cited an “internal analysis that suggested he would not meet the necessary thresholds to participate in the Iowa caucuses on Monday, and that he didn't want to detract from other moderate Democrats.”

“John does not want the good work of his campaign to make it harder for those like-minded candidates on the bubble of viability in many Iowa precincts to advance in the Iowa caucuses and garner delegates,” his campaign said in a news release.

Delaney failed to gain traction among voters despite holding 268 events in the state – more than any Democratic candidate – over the past 100 days.