Just got the word in my inbox.
Don't have a lot of commentary. I'm transcribing the full email over the jump. Basically, with Bachmann out, Graves says "Mission accomplished" and is dropping out too.
[Raptavio],
This is the most difficult message I’ve ever had to write.
A year ago, we set out on a mission: To restore civility, functionality and honesty to Washington by removing Michele Bachmann from office. Her hateful rhetoric and dangerous policies fueled an extremist movement unlike anything we’d seen in a long time. The tone it created was a poison pill that crippled Congress, preventing government from performing its most basic duties, like passing a budget.
Over this past year, I’ve never been more inspired. Thousands and thousands and thousands of you stepped up to the plate and sacrificed – your time, your money, your energy – to make our country a better place. Your passion will be etched into my memory forever.
This week, we learned that we succeeded. We set out to defeat Rep. Bachmann, and that has been accomplished. You should feel incredibly proud. After all, it was the grassroots movement you built that kept the pressure on and forced Rep. Bachmann from her seat in Congress.
I’ll never be able to thank you enough for being part of this team. But after struggling with this decision – agonizing over it with my friends, supporters and family, I’ve decided to suspend my campaign indefinitely.
As I said, I’ve never faced a more difficult decision. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your support and dedication.
Your friendship means the world to my family and me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
Jim
8:11 AM PT: Here's my thoughts:
The district is R+8. It's the most conservative district in our fair state.
Jim knows he'd have a Herculean uphill climb running against anyone not named Michele Bachmann. Bachmann's myriad ethical problems and her record of crazy are liabilities for her, even in the 6th distrct, and that allowed Graves to nealy topple her in 2012 and to be on track to unseat her in 2014.
With Michele no longer the GOP standard-bearer, Graves' chances went from "not bad" to "nearly impossible." Graves knows this, and likely opted to not "fight the good fight" when his odds of winning are slim to none.