Kamala Harris ends presidential bid

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First-term U.S. Senator Kamala Harris has ended her bid in the 2020 presidential race.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, SAYING:

"My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources to continue."

Harris informed her staff on a conference call Tuesday, then posted a video to Twitter explaining her withdrawal, and taking a jab at her political rivals.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE U.S. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, SAYING:

"I’m not a billionaire. I can’t fund my own campaign. And as the campaign has gone on, it’s become harder and harder to raise the money we need to compete."

The 55-year old former California Attorney General positioned herself as a unifying candidate who could energize the party's base of young, diverse progressives while also appealing to more moderate voters.

Yet after climbing into double digits in opinion polls following a strong debate performance in June, Harris slid out of the top tier in recent months as her campaign struggled with strategy and infighting, and she sank to low single-digits in the polls.

In an ominous sign earlier on Tuesday, the Harris campaign canceled a fundraiser in New York, despite having qualified to appear in the next Democratic primary debate on December 19th.

Harris' departure from the race is the first of a top-tier candidate from the crowded nominating contest.