Tom Vilsack Ends Presidential Run

By Eric Ostermeier on February 23, 2007

Former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack ended his bid for the 2008 Democratic Party presidential nomination today, citing difficulties in raising enough money to launch a viable campaign. Vilsack was the first democrat to officially enter the race last November.

Vilsack was polling at a distant 4th in his home state of Iowa for that state's Caucus next January, even though he left office as a popular governor with a job approval rating in the mid- to high 50s. Nationally, Vilsack was polling in the low single digits, behind even non-candidates like former Vice President Al Gore.

It will be interesting to see which Democratic candidate benefits from Vilsack's departure in Iowa; Vilsack was polling at around 10 percent. Vilsack is a centrist democrat who fought tax hikes as the governor of the Hawkeye state and who also deployed Iowa National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexican last year to beef up border security at President George W. Bush's request.

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