Numerous media outlets are now confirming that former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg will tonight be announcing he is suspending his presidential campaign. Despite strong performances in Iowa and New Hampshire, Buttigieg faced a difficult path through the Super Tuesday primaries, and recent polling gave few indications of a required surge. The campaign also suffered from severely limited funding in recent weeks.
Buttigieg was the first openly gay presidential candidate to rise to major-candidate status. He had attempted to position himself in the “moderate” wing of the campaigners, distancing himself from proposals by Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but also portraying himself as more progressive than competitors former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. He is expected to announce the end of his campaign tonight in South Bend, Indiana.