Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the end of his presidential campaign, citing a lack of a clear path to victory. DeSantis made the announcement on social media just days before the New Hampshire primary, the second state in the nominating race.

In a video posted on X, DeSantis acknowledged that he had failed to overtake rival Donald Trump in polling or in the early vote of the 2024 race. He stated, "We don't have a clear path to victory," while endorsing Trump as the preferred Republican nominee.

With DeSantis exiting the primary race, the competition is now primarily between Trump and Trump's former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Although Haley continues to trail Trump in polling, she has her best chance at beating him in New Hampshire.

DeSantis, who entered 2023 as a top contender in the Republican Party, had garnered attention for his conservative track record as the governor of Florida. He opposed abortion access, resisted federal health authorities' recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and questioned the age-appropriateness of LGBTQ education in schools.

However, DeSantis faced challenges and controversies during his campaign. His support for the Parental Rights in Education Act, which limited LGBTQ education in schools, led to a feud with The Walt Disney Company. Disney claimed that DeSantis retaliated against them for opposing the act.

Throughout his campaign, DeSantis emphasized policy and culture war issues, often using buzzwords like "woke" and "indoctrination" to appeal to the Republican base. However, he struggled to gain momentum and faced negative headlines regarding staff layoffs, infighting with his super PAC, and high spending.

As the campaign progressed, Nikki Haley emerged as a formidable contender, delivering strong debate performances and gaining traction in the polls. DeSantis, in response, criticized her as less conservative, relying on anti-Trump voters outside of the GOP base to support her campaign.

In light of DeSantis' decision to end his campaign, Haley praised his efforts and wished him well. The Trump campaign expressed gratitude for DeSantis' endorsement, calling on all Republicans to rally behind President Trump to defeat Joe Biden in the presidential election.

With DeSantis out of the race, the focus now shifts to the upcoming primaries, where Trump and Haley will compete to secure the Republican nomination for the 2024 presidential election.