Sen. Bob Dixon drops Missouri governor bid

Missouri Sen. Bob Dixon of Springfield, one of five announced Republican candidates for governor, has ended his campaign.

Dixon gave no specific reason for his decision to quit the race. In a brief statement posted on his Facebook page Monday, he said: “I know we could have renewed the Spirit of Missouri and made our state a place of renewed freedom where no one, rich or poor, would settle for living off the backs or the work of others.”

The GOP field is now down to four major candidates: former House speaker Catherine Hanaway, Eric Greitens, Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and John Brunner.

Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is considered the likely Democratic nominee for governor.

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 10:07 AM.