Tancredo drops out of GOP nomination race, endorses Romney
Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo has told a news conference in Des Moines that he is dropping out of the presidential race. He said he is endorsing Mitt Romney. We've posted the Des Moines Register report here.
Update at 3:25 p.m. ET: Tancredo ran a campaign centered on his opposition to illegal immigration and takes credit for hardening the views of other Republican candidates. He said in a recent debate that his opponents were trying to "out-Tancredo Tancredo."
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, is trying to regain the upper hand in Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses in the face of a surge by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Romney has said Huckabee is too soft on illegal immigration, including in a TV ad that criticizes Huckabee's support of college aid for illegal immigrants.
Update at 3:35 p.m. ET: It's probably safe to say that former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson would have liked Tancredo's endorsement. Thompson's first policy proposal as a candidate was a crackdown on immigration. Some Iowans at his events have said they were considering both Thompson and Tancredo.
Still, it's unclear how much impact Tancredo's exit will have. As the Des Moines Register points out, Tancredo registered only 6% in its latest poll of Iowa.
Update at 5:25 p.m. ET: Thompson released a statement from his Iowa director, Rep. Steve King. King thanked Tancredo for advancing the causes of border security and the rule of law but added, "He and I disagree on who will carry that ball from now on. I've put my head and my heart and my efforts behind Fred Thompson because he is the one who will define what amnesty is, not what amnesty isn't. Fred Thompson will stand up for the rule of law. I don't have that confidence in any of the other candidates. That's why I'm here."
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