Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski plans to drop out of the race for Pennsylvania governor, according to a source.

Pawlowski, a Democrat who had been seeking to challenge Republican incumbent Gov. Tom Corbett, will withdraw from the race Monday and endorse Treasurer Rob McCord, the source said.

Mike Fleck, Pawlowski's campaign manager, declined to comment except to say Pawlowski would hold a news conference 11 a.m. Monday to discuss the governor's race.

Pawlowski did not immediately respond to a phone call for comment tonight.

Pawlowski was one of a crowded field of eight declared candidates so far running in the Democratic primary to challenge Corbett in November.

From the start, Pawlowski faced a challenge of low name recognition and fundraising.

G. Terry Madonna, political science professor at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, previously said he would need to raise as much as $10 million, and would need at least $5 million just to build any manner of name recognition.

Campaign fundraising reports for the gubernatorial candidates started to be released today, but Pawlowski's were not available on the Pennsylvania Department of State website.

Allyson Schwartz, the perceived frontrunner in the Democratic primary, has raised more than $6.5 million so far, according to the state. Tom Wolf, a York businessman also running as a Democrat, raised more than $13 million, including a loan of $10 million of his own money.

Past political surveys showed Pawlowski polling on the low end compared with the other Democrats. A Harper Polling survey in November found 81 percent of respondents did not know enough about him to form an opinion.

Pawlowski and Fleck often emphasized that he was the only candidate in the race with executive experience. They hoped to leverage support and endorsements through contacts Pawlowski has gained as president of the Pennsylvania Municipal League and other mayors' organizations.

Contact Allentown reporter Colin McEvoy at 484-894-2549 or cmcevoy@express-times.com.