Former lawmaker drops out of GOP race for Kansas governor

A moderate Republican who was among the first candidates to publicly lay the groundwork to run for governor is now out of the race.

Ed O’Malley, a former state representative from Roeland Park, said in a statement Thursday morning that he was ending his campaign.

“I know many supporters will be disappointed. I am, too,” he said. “I cannot help but feel as if I have let so many people down. Yet, the flip side of our shared optimism for the future of Kansas has to be brutal realism about what it will take to get there.”

O’Malley had announced an exploratory campaign roughly a year ago and officially kicked off his campaign in October.

Yet his fundraising numbers lagged behind those of many other Republicans in the governor’s race, including Gov. Jeff Colyer and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

“I am thankful for so many supporters giving so much to this journey,” O’Malley said in the statement. “Their commitment to our state didn’t begin or end with this campaign. We will find ways to continue to work together to create a better Kansas.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Former lawmaker drops out of GOP race for Kansas governor."