Republican Francis Suarez suspends 2024 US presidential bid

US presidential elections 2024: The two-term mayor became the first candidate to drop out of the crowded GOP field.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is suspending his bid for the presidency, dropping out of the 2024 race after failing to qualify for the first Republican debate.

US presidential elections 2024: Republican presidential candidate Miami Mayor Francis Suarez speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP)

The two-term mayor on Tuesday became the first candidate to drop out of the crowded GOP field. He launched his campaign just over two months ago as one of the last competitors to join a primary race that has so far been dominated by former President Donald Trump.

“While I have decided to suspend my campaign for President, my commitment to making this a better nation for every American remains,” he said in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

The 45-year-old Suarez was vying to become the first sitting mayor and first Latino elected president.

Earlier this year, Trump’s former White House counselor Kellyanne Conway floated Suarez as a possible vice presidential pick.