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WASHINGTON (CNN) — Ben Carson on Friday officially ended his presidential campaign and revealed his next move: chairing a group focused on getting out the Christian vote in November.
“Even though I might be leaving the campaign trail, you know there’s a lot of people who love me. They just won’t vote for me,” Carson told the Conservative Political Action Conference gathering in National Harbor, Maryland. “But it’s OK. It’s not a problem. I will still continue to be heavily involved in trying to save our nation.”
When Carson said he would be “leaving the campaign trail,” the crowd gasped, giving him a standing ovation.
Later in the speech, Carson explained, “I did the math. I looked at the delegate counts … and I realized it simply wasn’t going to happen. And if that’s the case, then I simply didn’t want to interfere with the process.”
Carson did not endorse another Republican candidate.
He used the speech mostly to reiterate his campaign themes, but did also thank his campaign volunteers, especially Braden Joplin, an Iowa staffer who died in a car crash before the state’s caucuses.
“It’s an experience that I will never forget,” Carson said.
Carson to chair Christian group
Earlier Friday, My Faith Votes announced Carson as its new national chairman, putting out a statement ahead of Carson’s address to CPAC.
“Nothing is more important to me than my personal faith, and it is my faith that motivated me to be involved in the political process to begin with,” Carson said in a statement. “I believe Christians in this country can easily determine the next president of the United States and all other national and local leaders, should they simply show up at the polls.”
The tax-exempt nonprofit educational group says it will undertake a national media campaign that will gather steam into the November presidential election.
“In the last four presidential elections, an average of less than five million votes separated the major candidates.” My Faith Votes President Sealy Yates, said in a statement. “Yet, more than 25 million Christians didn’t bother to even show up at the polls in 2012.”
Carson repeated the message in a video on the group’s website, saying it’s his goal to encourage all Christians in “exercising our civic duty and voting.”
The group said Carson agreed to take on the position the same day he announced he could not see a “path forward” for his presidential campaign on Wednesday. He did not participate in the GOP debate on Thursday.
Asked if the new job would preclude him from endorsing a fellow candidate, Carson confidante and business manager Armstrong Williams said he was “never” going to endorse a candidate.
Speculation had abounded about Carson’s next move. CNN’s Dana Bash reported that GOP operatives planned to reach out to Carson to encourage him to run for the Florida Senate seat being vacated by Marco Rubio instead of president.
The super PAC supporting Carson had also sent out fundraising pleas off Carson as a vice presidential pick.
Throughout the campaign, Carson has said he’d be happy in retirement but has felt called to run for president by his supporters and God.
The-CNN-Wire
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