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It was announced on Monday morning that Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker will no longer be vying for the top spot in the country and has decided to drop out as a candidate in the Democratic presidential race.

“It was a difficult decision to make, but I got in this race to win, and I’ve always said I wouldn’t continue if there was no longer a path to victory,” said Booker in a statement to supporters.

This not only tightens the race amongst the 12 remaining Democratic candidates, but it also makes former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick the only Black candidate still standing.

READ MORE: Cory Booker responds to Mike Bloomberg’s “well-spoken” comments, assures there is “no beef” between friends

Booker, who called his staff from his Newark campaign headquarters, actually emailed the statement which was obtained by NBC News. In it, he explained why he decided to run for President in the first place and how he came to the difficult decision to suspend his campaign.

“Nearly one year ago, I got in the race for president because I believed to my core that the answer to the common pain Americans are feeling right now, the answer to Donald Trump’s hatred and division, is to reignite our spirit of common purpose to take on our biggest challenges and build a more just and fair country for everyone,” said Booker.

“I’ve always believed that. I still believe that. I’m proud I never compromised my faith in these principles during this campaign to score political points or tear down others.”

“And maybe I’m stubborn, but I’ll never abandon my faith in what we can accomplish when we join together,” he continued. “I will carry this fight forward — I just won’t be doing it as a candidate for president this year. Friend, it’s with a full heart that I share this news — I’ve made the decision to suspend my campaign for president.”

 Booker went on to talk about the fact that the campaign needed more money in order to build to a place where they could win. Not qualifying for the next Dem debate scheduled on Tuesday and Booker’s need to be in Washington D.C. more and on the forefront of Trump’s impeachment were also cited as reasons for suspending the campaign.

READ MORE: Cory Booker: Impeachment trial could be ‘big blow’ to my campaign

Booker now joins Sen. Kamala Harris and former Housing Secretary Julián Castro as candidates of color who have terminated their campaigns in part because of the funding needed to sustain the long course. Booker has explained since last September that his campaign needed a hefty $2 million in financial support to remain a force that could defeat Trump. Now, he’ll try to beat the President in another way as Senator since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Sunday that there may be even more articles of impeachment coming down the pike.

No word on who Booker will endorse now that he is out of the race.

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