Author and spiritual teacher Marianne Williamson has decided to end her 2024 presidential campaign, acknowledging the “level of success” achieved despite the outcome.
What Happened: Williamson announced the suspension of her campaign on Wednesday, according to a CNBC report. She acknowledged the evident failure of her campaign but emphasized the importance of the deeper, more authentic truths she sought to articulate.
"As of today we are suspending our campaign," she wrote Wednesday evening in a message to supporters.
"While the level of our failure is obvious to all, a level of success is real nonetheless," she wrote. "We articulated deeper, more authentic truths than those regularly acknowledged by the political establishment."
Williamson, known for her self-help books and spiritual teachings, ran on an anti-establishment platform, aiming to “Disrupt the System.” This was her second presidential bid, following an unsuccessful primary campaign in 2020.
She entered the race to provide an alternative to incumbent President Joe Biden, who was perceived to be struggling on key issues like the economy and losing support among core Democratic voting blocs, such as Latino voters.
Williamson’s campaign, however, failed to gain traction, and she only managed to secure roughly 2% of the vote in South Carolina’s Democratic primary last weekend.
Despite her determination to “course-correct” the damage of former President Donald Trump and prevent him from winning a second term, Williamson’s campaign did not resonate with voters as she had hoped.
Her best chance at picking up votes was in New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, where Biden’s name was not officially on the ballot. However, she only secured 4% of the votes, further marginalizing her in the field.
Why It Matters: Williamson’s campaign was marked by her outspoken views on various issues. In May, she criticized the debt ceiling deal between President Biden and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, calling it a “negotiation with economic terrorists.” She also lashed out at McCarthy’s notion of fiscal responsibility, saying it’s the poor who would pay for it.
Williamson also made headlines in January when she criticized the Biden administration and Congress for their slow approach to marijuana reform, labeling it as hypocritical given the alleged private drug use by lawmakers. In June, she promised to cancel the controversial Alaska oil project approved by Biden if elected.
Williamson also called for universal healthcare, including psychedelics therapy, in October.
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