Marianne Williamson suspends presidential campaign

Marianne Williamson announced Wednesday night she is ending her Democratic presidential campaign for president.

The 71-year-old author said in a video posted to social media that "it is time to suspend my campaign for the presidency."

"We did what we could to shed some light in some very darkened times. For that I will always be so grateful," Williamson said.

Her announcement came one day after she was soundly defeated by President Biden in the Nevada Democratic primary. 

Williamson, along with Rep. Dean Phillips, launched longshot bids to unseat Mr. Biden from his incumbent bid for the White House last year. Phillips remains in the race. 

"Marianne Williamson is a woman of courage, strength, and compassion for the country who has been grossly mistreated by a system designed to do just that," Phillips said in a social media post late Wednesday. "I'm honored to have run alongside her, and will carry our shared principles forward with fortitude. We're grateful for you, Marianne. This isn't over."  

While Mr. Biden refused to debate his challengers, Williamson and Phillips debated on Jan. 8 in New Hampshire, where they hoped to win with Mr. Biden absent from the New Hampshire Democratic primary ballot. However, a successful write-in effort on behalf of Mr. Biden by Granite State allies earned the president a victory, all but ending his challengers' White House bids.

Williamson also ran in the 2020 Democratic primary, and prior to dropping out, laid off her entire staff after failing to meet fundraising and polling thresholds for all but the first debate.

She had troubles this campaign cycle as well, rotating between three different campaign managers in her short-lived campaign. Carlos Cardona, her most recent campaign manager, told CBS News that he left her campaign the day after New Hampshire's primary. 

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