RICHMOND, Va.
Ex-governor drops out of GOP presidential race
Former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore ended his long-shot campaign for the presidency Saturday, acknowledging he couldn’t raise enough money.
The former Republican National Committee chairman is the first of the 10 GOP presidential candidates to drop out. He barely registered in the polls, and his latest financial disclosure report showed him with about $90,000 in cash on hand.
Gilmore, 57, had stumped on reducing illegal immigration and creating a new strategy in Iraq.
“I’ve developed a national following,” Gilmore said in a telephone interview. “But that following really hasn’t included getting a fundraising group together.”
In a written statement, he said his late start, near the end of April, and the front-loaded primary schedule “have made it impractical to continue.” Gilmore also underwent emergency surgery for a detached retina last month, which forced him to cancel campaign appearances.
READING, Pa.
Nader says he may run, slams Dems for obstacles
Ralph Nader told the Green Party’s national convention Saturday that he is considering a 2008 presidential run and accused Democrats of trying to shut smaller parties out of the political process.
“No other country comes close to providing voters with such a small number of choices and making third-party candidates hurdle an almost insuperable number of obstacles just to get on the ballot,” said Nader, the Green Party’s 2000 presidential nominee.
In 2000, Nader got 2.7 percent of the votes in the general election. Democrats say he siphoned votes from nominee Al Gore, giving the election to Republican George W. Bush. In 2004, Nader was less of a factor.
