Huntsman Ends Presidential Campaign

Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman announced on Monday that he has withdrawn from the Republican presidential race.

"Today the campaign for the presidency ends, but our campaign to build a better and more trust-worthy America continues." he said at a Myrtle Beach, S.C., press conference with his wife Mary Kaye and four of his daughters and his father by his side.

Huntsman, who endorsed former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, said Republicans must rally around the candidate whom he said can defeat President Barack Obama in November. He also criticized the campaign's increasingly negative tone.

"This race has degenerated into an onslaught of negative attacks not worthy of American people," said Huntsman. "Today I call on each campaign to cease attacking each other and instead talk directly to the American people."

Huntsman's announcement comes less than a week after he finished third in the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 10. He is expected to endorse former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Christie: Obama Should Be "Pissed" About Timing of Huntsman's Campaign

Responding to a question about former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's criticism that former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman served as the Obama administration's ambassador to China, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie suggested the president should be "pissed" about the timing of his presidential campaign.

"I would be kind of pissed if I were Barack Obama--I mean I give this guy a job, he's over in China supposedly serving my administration," said Christie, who appeared at a town hall with "Morning Joe" co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski in Manchester on Jan. 8. "I wonder a little bit about Huntsman's integrity."

Romney questioned Huntsman's ambassadorship and his previous pro-Obama statements during the latest Republican presidential debate in Concord earlier in the day.

Christie's appearance came hours after he clashed with Occupy protesters at an Exeter town hall with Romney and New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. His remarks also coincided with news that New Jersey lawmakers plan to introduce a bill on Monday that would legalize marriage for same-sex couples in the Garden State.

Christie, who supports civil unions, has said he would veto any marriage equality bill. He did not discuss the measure during his Manchester appearance with Scarborough and Brzezinski.

Romney Ekes Out Narrow Victory Over Santorum in Iowa Caucuses

What a nail biter!

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney eked out an eight-vote victory over former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum in the Iowa Republican caucuses.

Santorum and Romney were tied throughout the night, and Iowa Republican Chair Matt Strawn only announced the results in the wee hours. Texas Congressman Ron Paul came in third with 21 percent of the vote. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich came in fourth; while Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman rounded out the pack.

Candidates Prepare for Final Push in N.H.

Downtown Manchester was largely quiet on this post-Christmas Monday, but Republican presidential candidates’ staffers and volunteers were hard at work 15 days before the first-in-the-nation GOP primary.

Two volunteers with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s campaign stressed that presidential candidates should stay out of the ongoing debate over a bill that would repeal the state’s marriage equality law. A vote on the proposal could potentially coincide with the Jan. 10 primary, but a University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll in October found that 62 percent of likely voters oppose efforts to repeal the law that took effect in Jan. 2010.

Less than a mile south on Elm Street, staffers and volunteers were busy in former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s campaign office. (An ad that features Romney talking about fiscal responsibility and another from Texas Congressman Ron Paul that specifically attacks the former Massachusetts governor, President Barack Obama and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi just aired on WMUR. Another spot touted former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman as a “true conservative” compared to Gingrich and Romney. A fourth ad that features three Republicans and one Democrat who oppose the marriage equality repeal bill also ran towards the end of WMUR's 6 p.m. newscast.)

Less than two miles away, volunteers with former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman were busy bringing signs and other supplies into the campaign’s Elm Street office. Signs for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Gov. Rick Perry also lined the street. Others for Paul greeted drivers at the intersection of Queen City Avenue and South Willow Street.

Hordes of shoppers who descended upon the Mall of New Hampshire seemed oblivious to the upcoming vote.

On Elm Street.

Outside the Romney campaign's New Hampshire headquarters on Elm Street.

Gingrich touts his "21st Century Contract with America" in downtown Manchester.

Huntsman's campaign headquarters on Elm Street.

Poll: Romney Gains More Ground in N.H.

A new poll shows that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney continues to gain more ground against his challengers in New Hampshire.

The poll, conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, found that 42 percent of likely Republican primary voters would vote for Romney, compared to 15 percent who said they would back former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Texas Congressman Ron Paul received 12 percent, while 8 percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman. Only four percent of likely Republican primary voters said they would support Herman Cain.

With less than two months until the primary, the poll also found that nearly 60 percent of New Hampshire voters remain undecided.

Does Huntsman Signal the Return of the Moderate Republican?

Does former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman signal the return of the moderate Republican?

He and the seven other Republican presidential candidates certainly clashed on the economy, jobs, Social Security and other bread and butter issues during last night’s debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., but Huntsman provided a potentially uncomfortable reality check for his more well-known GOP opponents who actually need to court mainstream voters to defeat President Barack Obama.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum seemed an oddly placed sidebar to the Texas-sized showdown between Congressman Ron Paul and Texas Gov. Rick Perry—the Emergency Alert System alerting Washingtonians that the District of Columbia and surrounding areas were under a flash flood warning actually pre-empted Santorum’s comments on immigration. Romney tried to sow his own Tea Party bonafides while refusing to explicitly own the populist label.

"If we're going to win in 2012, we've got to make sure that we have somebody who can win based upon numbers of the math that will get us there," said Huntsman, referring to Perry’s comments about climate change and evolution. "And by making comments that basically don't reflect the reality of the situation, we turn people off."

The next debate will be in Tampa, Fla., on Sept. 12.