Former Sen. Fred Thompson on Tuesday ended his run for the presidency, coming off the heels of a disappointing third-place finish in South Carolina's GOP primary and heading into the showdown state of Florida next week.
"Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States," Thompson said in a statement.
"I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort. Jeri and I will always be grateful for the encouragement and friendship of so many wonderful people."
Thompson entered the race in September, long after his Republican rivals had announced their candidacies and began raising money. His campaigning style was criticized as lackluster, and he was never able to capitalize on the anticipation supporters had built before he announced that he was getting into the race.
Thompson was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 and represented Tennessee for eight years. He had hoped to do well in South Carolina, the first Southern state contested in this election cycle and where a strong showing could have reinvigorated his flagging campaign.
He finished with 16 percent of the vote. Sen. John McCain won Saturday's contest with 33 percent, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee with 30 percent.
"He's really been good lately, but it's too late," CNN analyst Bill Bennett said of Thompson after South Carolina returns started to come in. "If you're a Southern conservative and you can't make it in South Carolina, it's over."
Earlier, Thompson finished third in Iowa, fifth in Michigan and Nevada, sixth in New HampshireMitt Romney in Wyoming.
Thompson teased Republicans all last summer after forming a fundraising committee for a possible presidential campaign on June 1.
When he announced in September that he was formally entering the race, it was well after the other Republicans had launched their campaigns, and analysts said the late entry may have hurt him.
Thompson is an actor best known for his role as District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's "Law & Order." and a distant second to
