Former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty announced Sunday he is dropping out of the Republican presidential contest, world media said.
His decision came a day after he finished a distant third in the Iowa straw poll, an early test of strength for the candidates seen as a key indicator of who will fare well in early nominating contests next year.
"I wish it would have been different, but obviously the pathway forward for me doesn't exist so we are going to end the campaign," Pawlenty said on ABC's This Week program.
The Pawlenty campaign, officially launched in May, "didn't get the kind of traction and lift we had hoped coming out of the straw poll," he added.
