Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean Ends Candidacy for Democratic Presidential Nomination
Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (D) on Wednesday withdrew from the race for the Democratic presidential nomination after failing to win any of the 17 primary contests so far but vowed to continue campaigning to defeat President Bush and help Democrats regain control of Congress, Long Island Newsday reports. During his campaign, Dean "tap[ped] in early to voters' concerns about the war in Iraq, health care and the soaring federal deficit -- energizing Democrats and sharpening criticism of Bush," according to Newsday. "Today my candidacy may come to an end, but our campaign for change is not over," Dean said (Long Island Newsday, 2/19). Several Dean supporters have pledged to vote for him in upcoming primaries to "keep the spotlight on key parts of his platform," including making health insurance available to all U.S. residents, the Los Angeles Times reports (Gold/Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 2/19).
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