Larry Elder, right-wing political commentator, ends presidential campaign

By Sofia Mendes

Right-wing political commentator and conservative radio talk show host Larry Elder announced the end of his 2024 Republican campaign for president on Oct. 26. Elder chose to suspend his campaign by endorsing former President Donald Trump. 

Elder stated that he hopes his campaign helped shine a light on what he believes to be the biggest issues facing the nation: “…the crisis of fatherlessness, the dangerous lie that America is systematically racist, the need for an amendment to the constitution to set federal spending to a fixed percentage of the GDP… and the need to remove the Soros-backed DAs across the country who refuse to endorse the law.” 

A Los Angeles Republican, Elder was previously the top competitor among challengers to Governor Gavin Newsom in California’s recall election in 2021. However, voters chose to instead keep Newsom in office. 

Elder never surpassed the Republican Party’s donation or polling thresholds to qualify for candidate debates. 

At the time of Elder’s decision to end his campaign, he became the fourth Republican candidate to do so following Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former Texas congressman Will Hurd, and businessman Perry Johnson. 

Two days after the public end of Elder’s campaign, former Vice President Mike Pence ended his presidential campaign as well. Similarly, Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina announced his departure from the race on Nov. 13.