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Bennet, 55, told supporters shortly after polls closed in New
Hampshire that it was "fitting" to end his presidential effort
in the state, where he had campaigned energetically.
Bennet encouraged voters to remain engaged and improve turnout
in the November election when Democrats will seek to unseat
Republican President Donald Trump.
"I want you to be optimistic tonight, you have to be optimistic
tonight – this is in our hands," Bennet said.
The 2020 race was an uphill climb for Bennet, who was largely
unknown to the American public and failed to break out of a
crowded field. Bennet qualified for the party's debates in June
and July but failed to meet tougher standards for the six
debates since then.
Bennet had focused his campaign on New Hampshire, holding 50
town-hall events between early December and Tuesday's primary
election, but his efforts failed to gain traction.
He began his long-shot Democratic primary campaign a month after
announcing that he had prostate cancer. He underwent surgery
during a legislative break and jumped into the Democratic race
in May.
As a presidential candidate, Bennet had his roots in the party's
establishment at a time when progressives and political
newcomers were grabbing the political spotlight.
He grew up in Washington, the son of a former State Department
official, and his grandfather advised President Franklin
Roosevelt. A graduate of Wesleyan University and Yale Law
School, he served in the Clinton Justice Department before
moving west.
Bennet was appointed to the Senate in 2009 after his
predecessor, Ken Salazar, was named secretary of the interior by
President Barack Obama. He won re-election in 2016.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Joseph Ax and Ginger Gibson; Editing
by Sonya Hepinstall and Peter Cooney)
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