Free Republic

As with most things in political news these days, I learned about this one on Twitter last night shortly after arriving home. Yes, the makeup of the 2016 GOP primary race has changed yet again. Former New York Governor George Pataki has bowed out. While tonight I suspend my campaign for president, I am confident we can elect the right person. https://t.co/mr4UunWASs— George E. Pataki (@GovernorPataki) December 30, 2015 The media quickly jumped all over the story, possibly because it was almost New Years Eve and nobody was watching anyway. (Bloomberg) George Pataki, the three-term governor who led New York...

George E. Pataki, the former three-term New York governor who launched a long-shot presidential bid that failed to catch fire, told his supporters Tuesday that he is suspending his campaign, two of Mr. Pataki's key backers said. <--snip-->

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump fired off angry tweets at one of his GOP rivals in the presidential race Wednesday, accusing him of being a has-been who couldn't get elected to office again. The rival, former New York Gov. George Pataki (R), has recently been criticizing Trump's controversial comments about illegal immigration. Pataki told Business Insider on Tuesday that Trump was "disrespectful" and subsequently wrote a letter to the Republican field urging them to join him in denouncing Trump. Trump, as is his wont, responded by trashing Pataki on Twitter:

Ignoring the polls and pundits, former New York Gov. George Pataki plans to announce Thursday that he’s joining the crowded Republican field for president. The three-term governor will unveil his candidacy in Exeter, N.H., – which claims the birthplace of the Republican Party – and join a group of contenders who are inching toward the 20 mark. Skeptics abound about Pataki’s chances.

Former New York Gov. George Pataki said Thursday that he will announce at a May 28 event in New Hampshire whether he will run for president. Pataki said he was not worried about the increasingly crowded Republican field of candidates. “I’ve learned early on that you can’t worry about what you can’t control. You can only control your ideas, your vision and how hard you work, and that’s all I’m worried about,” he said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”