US Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg has ended his bid for the party's presidential nomination.
The former mayor of South Bend in Indiana said his path to the nomination had "narrowed to a close".
Mr Buttigieg thanked supporters for "making the life of this campaign part of your own".
He suggested his most effective path to keep faith with his goals was to "step aside and help bring our party and our country together".
He made his announcement a day after coming in fourth place in the South Carolina primary, and less than two days before polls open for 'Super Tuesday'.
Democrats in more than a dozen states and territories will vote for their preferred nominee tomorrow, with the results likely to give a key indicator of how the race is shaping up.
Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden remain the clear frontrunners in the race.
The Vermont Senator has won a number of key early states, while the former vice president's previously struggling campaign having received a boost with a decisive victory in South Carolina on Saturday.
Campaign
38-year-old Mr Buttigieg launched his campaign last year, becoming the first openly gay major presidential candidate.
He received significant support and media attention and narrowly secured the most delegates in the Iowa caucuses last month.
However, he won significantly fewer votes in subsequent primary contests, and polls had shown him struggling to gain momentum in upcoming contests.
Several of the remaining candidates in the Democratic race praised Mr Buttigieg following the announcement that he was dropping out.
Mr Sanders praised Mr Buttigieg for running a "strong and historic campaign" - adding that he would welcome all of the former mayor's supporters into his own movement.
Joe Biden suggested it was "just the beginning" of Mr Buttigieg's time on the national stage, an observation echoed by Elizabeth Warren.
Thank you, @PeteButtigieg. I know you'll continue giving back and serving our country for many years to come.
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) March 1, 2020
Six candidates remain in the Democratic presidential race, with Senator Amy Klobuchar, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and billionaire Michael Bloomberg continuing to campaign alongside Sanders, Biden and Warren.
While Sanders and Biden continue to lead the pack, it remains unclear whether either will secure the necessary 'delegates' for a majority at the Democratic National Convention in the summer.
