WASHINGTON (CNN) — Rep. Tom Tancredo is set to abandon his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential nomination Thursday afternoon, a source close to the Colorado Republican tells CNN.
The announcement is expected to come at a 3 p.m. ET press conference in Iowa.
Tancredo is a fierce proponent of stricter illegal immigration laws, but his campaign struggled to gain traction with the Republican base. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll out Wednesday night showed the congressman registered less than 1 percent support nationally, and a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll in Iowa Thursday put Tancredo at only 3 percent.
Earlier this week, Iowa Rep. Steve King, a friend of Tancredo's who shares his tough stance on immigration, announced he was backing former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson instead.
– CNN Political Director Sam Feist
The announcement is expected to come at a 3 p.m. ET press conference in Iowa.
Tancredo is a fierce proponent of stricter illegal immigration laws, but his campaign struggled to gain traction with the Republican base. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll out Wednesday night showed the congressman registered less than 1 percent support nationally, and a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll in Iowa Thursday put Tancredo at only 3 percent.
Earlier this week, Iowa Rep. Steve King, a friend of Tancredo's who shares his tough stance on immigration, announced he was backing former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson instead.
– CNN Political Director Sam Feist
