Thompson ditches bid

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson is dropping out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination, a campaign official said Sunday.

His campaign has released a statement saying the Republican is leaving the campaign trail several hours after WITI-TV in Milwaukee reported that Thompson told one of its reporters he was withdrawing from the field.

The campaign statement said Thompson intends to take sometime off before returning to the private sector and his nonprofit work.

He finished sixth among eleven candidates in this weekend’s GOP straw poll in Iowa.