Longshot Democratic presidential candidate Lincoln Chafee teased an upcoming statement on Thursday about his “future in the campaign.”
The former Rhode Island governor and senator tweeted that he would make the remarks during his appearance before the DNC Women’s Forum on Friday.
.@JimWebbUSA is out, Joe Biden declined and now this hint…
https://t.co/eDr6Kc66re
— Kelly O'Donnell (@KellyO) October 23, 2015Lincoln Chafee is self-funder, could theoretically stay in as long as he wants.
— Alex Seitz-Wald (@aseitzwald) October 23, 2015Chafee has not gained any traction in the polls since ince launching his bid for the 2016 nomination in June, and his widely ridiculed performance during the Democrats’ first presidential debate fueled speculation that an end to his candidacy was imminent. In one particularly embarrassing moment, Chafee defended a vote to repeal the Glass-Steagall Act because it was his “first day.”
Recent fundraising data shows that Chafee raised only a paltry $15,000 in the third quarter of the campaign and had already spent $60,000. (Front-runner Hillary Clinton, by contrast, raised $29.9 million.) He also had barely registered in most Democratic primary polls.
RELATED: Chafee fumbles on Glass–Steagall question
Former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb exited the Democratic race earlier this week and didn’t rule out the possibility of an independent run for the White House. Chafee, who has identified in the past as both a Republican and as an Independent, could theoretically pursue a similar route, although neither candidate is viewed as a legitimate threat to derail the candidacy of the eventual Democratic nominee.
Adam Howard