Jeb Bush drops out of Republican presidential race

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced Saturday night that he was ending his bid for the White House.

A teary-eyed Bush saidhe wasproud of the campaign he ran to unify the country and advocate conservative solutions.

• Donald Trump wins South Carolina Republican primary

• Hillary Clinton wins Nevada Democratic caucuses

The son and brother of former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush entered the race to huge expectations in June, and quickly fuelled them with fundraising.

But he quickly slid in the polls behind some of his more outspoken Republican rivals such as billionaire businessman Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who have billed themselves as anti-establishment alternatives to the early front-runner.

Following disappointing performances in both Iowa and New Hampshire, Bush pinned his hopes on South Carolina, a state where the Bush name has maintained some clout. But Bush was unable to break into the top three in South Carolina. He would likely have faced pressure from Republicanleaders and donors to drop out had he stayed in the race.