Republican presidential nomination: Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore suspends his campaign

The rank outsider has announced he's dropping out after winning just 133 votes in the New Hampshire primary

Former Virginia governor Jim Gilmore has suspended his campaign for President (Getty Images)

Republican hopeful Jim Gilmore has officially suspended his campaign for the Presidency following poor results in the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries.

The former Virginia governor made the announcement in a Facebook post saying “the difficulty of the debate structure combined with the national media coverage of the [other] candidates made it impossible for him to continue”.

The rank outsider won just 12 votes in the Iowa caucus - followed by 133 votes in New Hampshire.

Mr Gilmore spent little money campaigning, had little name recognition outside Virginia and did so badly in the pools he did not qualify for an “undercard” to participate in the Republican debates, the Washington Post reports.

He was governor between 1997 and 2002 and also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee but resigned after a year because of differences with then-president George W. Bush.

Thanking his supporters he said would continue "to warn [America] about the dangers of electing either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders".

Mr Gilmore labelled Republican frontrunner Donald Trump a 'fascist' after he mocked a disabled reporter at a rally (Reuters)

He said: "My campaign was intended to offer the gubernatorial experience, with the track record of a true conservative, experienced in national security, to unite the party.

"My goal was to focus on the importance of this election as a real turning point, and to emphasize the dangers of continuing on a road that will further undermine America's economy and weaken our national security."

"Nonetheless, I will continue to express my concerns about the dangers of electing someone who has pledged to continue Obama's disastrous policies.

“And, I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that our next President is a free enterprise Republican who will restore our nation to greatness and keep our citizens safe."

He said he would support the eventual Republican nominee but did not endorse a particular candiate.

Mr Gilmore attracted press attention in November last year when he branded Republican frontrunner Donald Trump a “fascist” after he did an impression mocking a disabled journalist at a rally.