Senator Duncan Hunter ends Presidential Bid

Hunter exits presidential race

  Hunter will announce later Saturday he is exiting the White House race.

NEW YORK (CNN) — Rep. Duncan Hunter has abandoned his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, the California congressman said in a statement released Saturday evening.

“Today we end this campaign,” said Hunter, according to an advance copy of his remarks he was scheduled to deliver later in the evening.

The California Republican, an outspoken proponent of cracking down on illegal immigration, did poorly in the Nevada GOP caucuses held earlier in the day.

“The Nevada caucuses reflecting only 2 percent of the vote for me,” he said. “I ran the campaign exactly the way I wanted to, and at this point not being able to gain traction in conservative states of Nevada and South Carolina, it's time to allow our volunteers and supporters to focus on the campaigns that remain viable.”