Beto O’Rourke ended his race for the Democratic nomination for president Friday. Although he looked promising early on, and raised $6.1 million in the first 24 hours after announcing his bid, he ultimately couldn’t recapture the buzz from his 2018 Senate race. He didn’t win that race against Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), but did gain a lot of media attention and got the most votes by a Democrat in the history of Texas. However, his presidential campaign struggled to gain traction, and it was also looking increasingly likely that he was not going to qualify for the next Democratic debate on Nov. 20.

He announced he was dropping out in an email to supporters, with no prior warning.

“Though it is difficult to accept, it is clear to me now that this campaign does not have the means to move forward successfully,” said the email. “My service to the country will not be as a candidate or as the nominee.” He said the decision was in the best interest of his campaign staff, the Democratic party, and the eventual nominee.