Mayor Suarez: First GOP Candidate to Exit 2024 Race

Miami mayor’s⁢ campaign​ was⁣ tarnished ‍by⁢ embarrassing ‘What’s a⁤ Uyghur?’ remark

Miami Mayor Suspends Presidential Campaign

Miami‍ mayor Francis Suarez announced on Tuesday he⁢ is ⁢suspending his presidential campaign, ‌becoming the first ⁤major Republican candidate to‌ do so, after ‍failing to qualify for the first primary debate held last week.

“While I have decided to suspend⁤ my campaign for President, my commitment to ⁤making this a better nation for every American remains,”⁣ he said⁣ in a post on X, formerly called Twitter.

Suarez, 45, entered the race ⁢in June. He⁤ described his vision for a youthful,​ upbeat, and⁤ cross-cultural campaign⁤ in an interview with ⁢Reuters.

A Cuban-American who has sought to create a tech-driven economic boom in Miami, Suarez was ​the only Hispanic candidate in the Republican‍ field and the third ⁤candidate from Florida,‌ joining former president Donald Trump and ⁤Florida governor Ron DeSantis.

“I will continue to amplify the voices of the Hispanic community—the fastest-growing voting group in ‌our country,” ‍Suarez said ‍in ​the online post in​ which he ​announced the suspension ⁢of his campaign.

In the ‍post, ‍the Republican also criticized ‍the administration of Democratic⁢ president ​Joe Biden over issues like inflation and crime.

The mayor failed to make‍ a splash⁢ in the crowded GOP primary. Suarez’s most notable moment⁢ in the ​campaign was an embarrassing blunder, ​when he ⁢asked a radio host, “What’s a ‌Uyghur?” He later told⁤ the Washington Free Beacon he was aware of the oppressed minority group in China but “didn’t recognize the pronunciation” when the‍ host referenced ⁣the ‌group.

Suarez ‌was always going to be a long shot in a race​ that has been dominated by Trump. Most opinion polls show DeSantis a distant second, with Suarez placed near the​ bottom of the ​pack of candidates.

Suarez has had thorny relationships with both Trump and DeSantis. ⁣He ⁣did not support Trump in his ​2020 reelection bid and was critical of ⁣some of DeSantis’s COVID-19 pandemic-era policies.

Suarez had also​ drawn criticism for championing‌ cryptocurrency firms such as ​the bankrupt FTX, ⁢which ‍bought naming rights to Miami’s basketball arena but was then forced to surrender them.

However, the city ‍has seen ⁣an influx of‍ more traditional tech companies ⁣and wealthy investors during his tenure, as well as a construction​ boom that has helped ‌contribute to Miami’s reputation as a⁢ top international tourism destination.

(Reporting ⁣by Kanishka Singh ‍in Washington; editing by Chris Reese⁢ and Jonathan‍ Oatis)