Lawyer turned businessman, turned prospective Democratic 2020 candidate Andrew Yang has announced that he is dropping out of the Democratic primary tonight amidst the New Hampshire primary.
Yang ended his presidential campaign in New Hampshire, giving a speech noting his campaign’s humble beginnings and its vision that was not being carried by the Democratic party, including the progression of machines taking the jobs of human workers.
"We have brought a message of humanity first, and a vision of an economy and society that works for us and our families to millions of our fellow Americans," Andrew Yang says upon ending his presidential campaign https://t.co/WTFRWpfJ08 pic.twitter.com/Vxzyl4D3ti
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) February 12, 2020
Yang announced his bid all the way back in 2017 and became known as a longshot candidate that gained popularity thanks to his likable character and, more famously, his proposal of a $1,000 universal basic income.
The Asian-American man famously engaged in stereotypes for humorous reasons, and oftentimes appears as a more relaxed personality on the debate stages, wearing no tie, unlike his fellow candidates.
As NBC News reports, he was also popular with a number of celebrities and CEO’s:
In addition to his fan base online, his supporters would often show up at events wearing “MATH” hats, a reference to his slogan, “Make America Think Harder.” Yang also pulled in a number of celebrity endorsements, including comedian Dave Chapelle, Tesla founder Elon Musk and actor Donald Glover.
A senior adviser to the Yang campaign told NBC News the timing of his departure was also built on “math.”
“There comes a time where you look to see what a path to victory can and should be, and he’s willing to let the numbers guide his decision making, ” the aide said in reference to the delegates needed to make it to the Democratic National Convention.
Those who supported Yang may be watching their candidate vacate the race now, but Yang said that he may very well return the next election cycle in 2024 and pick up where he left off.
“As long as the problems are still there, I’d like to help solve them,” he said. “So certainly I am very open to running again if that’s the best way to serve.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member