Pete Buttigieg planned Sunday to drop out of the Democratic presidential race, ending an improbable and historic campaign that cemented the gay former South Bend, Ind., mayor as one of the party’s young stars, but which struggled with the candidate’s short political resume and his lack of popularity with voters of color.
He narrowly won the Iowa caucuses and finished a close second in the New Hampshire primary. But poor showings in the next two contests, in Nevada Feb. 22 and on Saturday in South Carolina, suggested there was no plausible route to the nomination.
Buttigieg will announce the decision Sunday night in a speech to supporters and staff in South Bend, aides said.