Martin O'Malley suspends presidential campaign

The former Maryland governor never reached numbers higher than single digits nationally

Martin O'Malley is out. (Dave Kaup/Reuters)

And then there were two.

The Democratic nomination became much more clear on Monday night after former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley suspended his campaign.

​"Together we all stood up for working people, for new Americans, for the future of the Earth and the safety of our children. We put these issues at the front of our party’s agenda—these are the issues that serve the best interests of our nation," O'Malley said in an email to supporters.

He continued by thanking supporters and his campaign staffers. He said that the nation must "hold strong" for people of all ages, races and religions.​

“In a tough, unprecedented year, O’Malley spent more time in Iowa than any other candidate and remained the most accessible,” an associate told the Washington Post.

“He ran an energetic and honorable campaign — leading the field with the most bold progressive policy proposals, and he successfully pushed the other candidates on gun safety, immigration, and climate policy.”

His campaign's decision comes as no surprise after O'Malley's poor showing in the polls — he never hit numbers higher than single digits nationally.

The exit leaves former secretary of state Hillary Clinton and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders are the only two candidates left in the contest for the Democratic nomination.