United States Senator, Tim Scott, on Sunday, announced that he is withdrawing from the U.S. presidential race, saying voters had given him a clear message of “not now”.

The South Carolina lawmaker, who was running to become the first Black Republican president, had been struggling to rise above the pack in the party’s crowded field.

Polling in sixth place among Republican primary candidates, the 58-year-old senator had only 2.5 percent of the vote, according to the RealClearPolitics average of recent major opinion polls.

“I am suspending my campaign. I think the voters who are the most remarkable people on the planet have been really clear that they’re telling me: ‘Not now Tim,'” Scott said on Sunday night.

Scott officially announced he was running for the Republican nomination in May after spending months visiting the states considered crucial to gaining early momentum in the contest.

READ ALSO: Trump’s rivals clash at Republican presidential debate

During his campaign, he frequently underlined his Christian faith and the conservative values he learned growing up in a poor, single-parent household.

Scott was one of five Republicans appearing in the third televised Republican debate last Wednesday as challengers for the party’s nomination sparred over Ukraine, China, abortion, and the future path of the party.

Notably absent from the stage was former President Donald Trump, who is leading the field by leaps and bounds with 58.5 per cent of the vote, according to RealClearPolitics.

Scott said he had no interest in becoming a running mate to any of the remaining candidates.

“Being vice president has never been on my to-do list for this campaign, and it’s certainly not there now,” he said.

The senator also stopped short of throwing his support behind any of the remaining contenders.

Scott said: “I’m going to recommend that the voters study each candidate and their candidacies and frankly their past and make the best decision for the future of their country.

“The best way for me to be helpful is not weigh in on who they should endorse.”

The Star