Scott Walker drops out of 2016 presidential race

A day after making weekend campaign stops in Iowa - a state where only months ago he topped GOP polls - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker suspended his presidential campaign Monday evening, effectively ending a once-promising presidential bid that collapsed amid tepid debate performances and missteps.

'Today, I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field in this race so that a positive, conservative message can rise to the top,” Walker said in a speech in Madison, Wis.

He said that because the Republican field is so crowded, candidates have become focused on 'personal attacks” instead of substantial issues. He urged those still in the race to focus on the values of the Republican Party: creating jobs, reducing the size of government and strengthening the military.

In dropping out, Walker encouraged other Republicans to do the same so that 'voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner.” But he did not name Donald Trump.

The announcement stunned Walker's major supporters and many on his staff. It was an unexpected and rapid fall for a candidate who just two months ago was considered a top-tier candidate.

'I didn't see it coming,” said Diane Poch of Riverside, who was working for Walker in Washington County. She had attended his town hall meeting Sunday in Amana and was planning to speak for Walker at the Washington County GOP Central Committee meeting Monday night.

'He's a godly man and I'm sure he did a lot of prayer before making this decision,” she said.

This summer, Walker's campaign quickly became overshadowed by Trump and other candidates who have never held elected office.

Given his 'catastrophic crash” in the polls, Iowa State University political science professor Steffen Schmidt said he wasn't too surprised.

'Those poll numbers were a disaster,” Schmidt said. 'He had already slipped and there were huge questions about his supporters, financial and others. When that happens, you've pretty much seen the end of the tunnel and you're done.”

Walker's fast start after getting an enthusiastic response before a conservative audience at U.S. Rep. Steve King's Freedom Summit in January may have contributed to his downfall.

'The lesson is,” Schmidt said, 'don't let a small victory early on in Iowa go to your head. That enthusiasm propelled him forward and he didn't deliver.”

Discussion of Walker among major Republican financiers and party leaders as a future presidential contender first surfaced in 2011, soon after Walker began his first term as governor and rolled out a series of labor reforms that riled Democrats and curbed collective-bargaining rights for public-sector unions. As he battled and ultimately won a recall election, he was touted as a possible vice-presidential candidate for GOP nominee Mitt Romney.

Union leadership, which had long considered Walker a top target, reacted quickly to him dropping out of the race.

'Scott Walker is still a disgrace, just no longer national,” AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a one-sentence statement.

In recent days, Walker had pulled back from other early-voting states in favor of a heavy focus on Iowa. But his numbers had sunk dramatically. There aren't many loyal Walker voters in the state left to claim, said Steve Grubbs, Iowa strategist for Republican presidential rival Rand Paul. 'The reality is that there was a very significant shift from Walker to Trump over the last eight to 10 weeks,” he said.

In a phone interview Monday with the Washington Post, Trump praised Walker's character and gubernatorial record and said he would reach out to his former rival in the coming days.

'I'm a little surprised that it hasn't worked out better for him,” Trump said. 'Many people thought he'd be the primary competition, at least initially.”

Walker's exit follows the Sept. 11 announcement by former Texas Gov. Rick Perry that he was suspending his GOP bid after just 100 days.

James Q. Lynch of The Gazette and The Washington Post contributed to this report.