Congressman Tom Tancredo will bow out of the Republican race for President today according to the Associated Press:
The five-term Colorado congressman planned to make the announcement at a news conference in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Tancredo or his campaign.
Tancredo's campaign would only say he planned a "major announcement" Thursday.
Tancredo has consistently polled at the back of the nine-person GOP field. He has based his campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, a top issue in many areas of the country. He has run television ads that link lax border security to terrorist attacks, rape and other crimes.
Tancredo announced in October that he would not seek a sixth term in Congress, but hinted he would consider running for the Senate after his presidential bid.
There has been speculation that this was a move engineered by Tancredo's friend Congressman Steve King of Iowa, another strong opponent of illegal immigration, who just recently endorsed Fred Thompson for president.
Might Tancredo then endorse Thompson in order to solidify the anti-illegal immigration vote and give the former Tennessee Senator a chance in Iowa? It would be another significant boost for the Thompson campaign if that scenario were to play out.
The Colorado Congressman never had much of a shot at the nomination although the run did give him visibility that would come in handy in a statewide race in Colorado. Senator Wayne Allard is retiring and Colorado is seen by Democrats as a likely pick up. A Republican with strong name recognition and a good base of support could derail that idea.
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