Sen. Lindsey Graham helped shape GOP primary debate

Mary Troyan | USA Today

Show Caption Hide Caption Lindsey Graham Exits GOP Presidential Race Continuing to stuggle with low poll numbers, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham suspends his campaign urging restoration of the military and defeat of the Islamic State. Courtesy Lindsey Graham Campaign. (Dec. 21)

WASHINGTON – Sen. Lindsey Graham spent seven months pushing his fellow Republicans toward a more aggressive foreign policy -- but failing to catch on with voters -- before announcing Monday he would end his presidential campaign.

Graham, 60, will remain in the Senate, where he has five years left in his third term representing South Carolina.

He announced his decision in a video and email addressing his supporters.

"While we have run a campaign that has made a real difference, I have concluded this is not my time," Graham said.

Graham's focus on national security and the war against terrorism helped shape the overall GOP primary debate, but he wasn't well known outside South Carolina or the Senate. He never polled above single digits nationally or in the early voting states, and his support back home slipped as he traveled in New Hampshire and Iowa.

.@LindseyGrahamSC is a great American and a good friend. I’ve always admired him and wish him the best. — Chris Christie (@ChrisChristie) December 21, 2015

Nobody is more clear-eyed about ISIS than my friend @GrahamBlog. As he leaves the race I hope our party & country listen to his counsel — Jeb Bush (@JebBush) December 21, 2015

Monday was the last day he could drop out and have his name removed from the ballot in South Carolina.

His departure doesn’t immediately shake up the race -- 13 other Republicans are still running -- but it does free his key South Carolina supporters and national donors to pick another candidate.

One of Graham's most prominent advocates, Sen. John McCain of Arizona, was the party’s presidential nominee in 2008.

"Republicans lost our most qualified, thoughtful, fearless and honest presidential candidate, not to mention the candidate with the best (and it seemed sometimes the only) sense of humor,” McCain said Monday minutes after Graham’s announcement. “Despite the disadvantages he faced in resources and debate opportunities, Lindsey’s message of serious statesmanship and problem-solving in public affairs, his forthright opposition to policies and attitudes that would endanger our country and reflect poorly on our party, and his genuine decency and humility won him many new admirers.”

Graham stood out in the crowded Republican field by promoting his efforts at compromise with Democrats on issues such as reducing the federal debt and fixing immigration laws.

"This has been a problem solver’s campaign," he said in his farewell video. "However, the centerpiece of my campaign has been securing our nation. I got into this race to put forward a plan to win a war we cannot afford to lose and to turn back the tide of isolationism that was rising in our party. I believe we have made enormous progress in this effort."

While the race will miss his unique voice of truth and experience, the @LindseyGrahamSC fight must carry on. — Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) December 21, 2015

@LindseyGrahamSC got into the race for good and honorable reasons. A voice of clarity will be missed. — John Weaver (@JWGOP) December 21, 2015

In a statement Monday on Sidewire, a political news analysis app, Graham said, "While I am not prepared to make an endorsement, I will continue to speak out in support of candidates who share my commitment to defeating ISIL & solving our nation’s most difficult problems."

Thank you, Senator Graham for making sense on climate. @LCVoters has a guide on where remaining candidates stand: https://t.co/VhneZ4xiah — Alan Hancock (@alanmhancock) December 21, 2015

Graham defeated a large crowd of primary challengers last year to win his third term without a runoff. He is frequently mentioned as a potential defense secretary if a Republican wins the White House in 2016.

South Carolina Republicans hold their primary Feb. 20.

"Sen. Graham has an incredibly strong and loyal grassroots network in South Carolina," said Matt Moore, chairman of the state GOP. "Given Sen. Graham's huge primary victory in South Carolina just last year, the Graham network could have a major impact on South Carolina's presidential primary."

Contenders for Graham's endorsement include several candidates from the Republican establishment wing: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie. It's unlikely Graham would endorse Donald Trump, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky or Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. He's repeatedly criticized all three for opposing additional U.S. ground forces to combat terrorism around the globe.

Rubio issued a statement acknowledging his foreign policy disagreements with Graham but also describing the South Carolina senator as "a defender of a strong national defense as I am."

Rubio said Graham has stood out as "one of the most forceful voices on any of the debate stages about rebuilding our military."

"And I personally, of course, think Lindsey is a good guy, a very funny guy," Rubio said. "We will miss his humor on the campaign trail."

A good decision by a good man. @LindsayGrahamSC please keep talking about the issues. #FITN #nhpolitics https://t.co/PbX2C7qsJj — John H Sununu (@GovernorSununu) December 21, 2015

Despite several stand-out debate performances, his poll numbers never went up enough to qualify him for the prime-time events, where he would have relished confrontations with Trump and the rest of the field.

The Democratic National Committee issued a statement Monday noting that the GOP pledged after the 2012 election to reach out to Hispanic voters, but "the one presidential candidate who has consistently favored comprehensive immigration reform just dropped out of the race after attracting virtually no support."

Graham's decision to drop out of the race is his first political defeat. He has a perfect record at the ballot box — one election to the South Carolina House, five to the U.S. House and three to the U.S. Senate.

Graham's campaign earned grudging praise from President Obama, who said he disagreed with the senator's plan to attack the Islamic State but respected his willingness to take a position.

"What's interesting is that most of the critics have not called for ground forces," Obama told NPR News in an interview taped last week. "To his credit, I think Lindsey Graham is one of the few who has been at least honest about suggesting, here is something I would do that the president is not doing -- he doesn't just talk about being louder or sounding tougher in the process."

Graham retired from the Air Force Reserves this year after 33 years of serving as a military lawyer.

Contributing: David Jackson