Winnipeg physician Daniel Lindsay announced Friday morning that he’s withdrawing from the Conservative leadership race.

“At this time, I have decided the best course of action is to leave the race and explore the opportunity of seeking a seat in Parliament,” Lindsay said in a release.

“The issues I have raised during this race – health care reform, First Nations, financial accountability and economic opportunity – remain vital to the future of this country and I am determined to continue to fight to ensure they again become the core issues and values by which we govern.”

Lindsay’s announcement to withdraw from the race comes just one day before candidates – who have already paid $25, 000 to enter the race – are required to pay a $50,000 ‘compliance fee’. The candidates who do pony up the $50,000 fee to continue in the race are also required to pay a final $25,000 on February 24.

Lindsay said he will reach out to other leadership candidates who have expressed interest in the policies he has raised over the course of the campaign.

Interim Conservative leader Rona Ambrose issued a release thanking Lindsay for participating in the race.

“It’s not easy as a newcomer to politics to become a candidate for a party’s leadership, but Daniel quickly became known to Canadians as an accomplished physician who did five tours in Afghanistan and is passionate about Indigenous Canadians,” wrote Ambrose.

“I want to personally thank Daniel for stepping up and putting his name forward to run for the leadership of our party; we are stronger because of his contribution.”

Ambrose said she looks forward to working with Lindsay in the lead-up to 2019.

Now, there are thirteen official candidates: Tory MPs Maxime Bernier, Steven Blaney, Michael Chong, Kellie Leitch, Deepak Obhrai, Erin O’Toole, Lisa Raitt, Andrew Scheer and Brad Trost, former MPs Chris Alexander, Pierre Lemieux and Andrew Saxton, and businessman Rick Peterson.

So far, Bernier, Chong, Scheer, O’Toole and Leitch are the only candidates to confirm having fully paid their $100,000 to the Conservative party.

Saxton has paid the $50,000 compliance fee and his campaign says all of his payments will be in before the deadlines.

Alexander and Lemieux’s campaign told iPolitics earlier this month that the $50,000 fee would be paid before the December 31 deadline. Leadership candidates have until tomorrow to pay the $50,000 fee.