The Los Angeles times is reporting a headline today that Ron Paul is “effectively” ending his campaign with a decision to stop spending money on future state primaries and instead focus resources on upcoming state conventions.
Story from the LA Times:
Ron Paul, Mitt Romney’s lone remaining rival for the Republican presidential nomination, announced Monday that he would stop spending money on the party’s 11 remaining primaries, in effect suspending his campaign.
The libertarian Texas congressman told supporters in an email that he would continue to accumulate delegates to the Republican National Convention, to be held in Tampa, Fla., in August.
“Moving forward, however, we will no longer spend resources campaigning in primaries in states that have not yet voted,” he wrote. “Doing so with any hope of success would take many tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have.”
Apart from President Obama and Romney, Paul has raised more money than any other White House contender this year — more than $36 million. His calls for strict adherence to the Constitution and his no-nonsense manner have spawned a vocal and well organized group of followers, but not enough to give him a realistic shot at the presidency.
Having won 104 out of the 1,144 delegates needed to capture the Republican nomination, Paul is in fourth place and has no chance of overtaking Romney, who has 966, according to the latest Associated Press tally. Rick Santorum is in second with 264, followed by Newt Gingrich, who has 130.
Paul’s success at winning delegates at state party conventions could push him ahead of Gingrich by the time the national convention takes place. The more delegates Paul wins, the more influence he can wield at the national gathering.
“Our campaign will continue to work in the state convention process,” Paul said in his email.
The state conventions are Paul’s ripest opportunity to continue accumulating delegates and put his stamp on the GOP convention. I have no doubt he will accumulate more than Gingrich by the time the convention occurs.
I am not sure I would call this a suspension of Paul’s campaign since he is still intending to carry on and win delegates. If suspending a campaign is by definition not competing in the statewide primaries, then yes, he suspended it but only to devote expanded resources to the more attractive state convention contests. I’d call this a shift to accomplish the most he possibly can at this point in the most efficient manner.
