O'Malley pulls out of race for Democratic presidential nomination



DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Democrat Martin O'Malley has suspended his presidential campaign.

The former Maryland governor and Baltimore mayor never gained traction against rivals Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

O'Malley announced he is pulling out of the presidential race after the Iowa caucuses on Monday night, but says the party must "hold strong" behind the eventual nominee.

The former Maryland governor says Democrats must stick to their beliefs, including a responsibility to advance the common good.

O'Malley campaigned as a can-do chief executive who pushed through key parts of the Democratic agenda in Maryland. They included gun control, support for gay marriage and an increase in the minimum wage.

But O'Malley struggled to raise money and was polling in the single-digits for months despite campaigning actively in Iowa and New Hampshire.

With 75% of the Iowa precincts reporting Monday night, O'Malley was only getting about 1% of the vote.