Former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey Ends Presidential Bid, Leaves GOP

CRANSTON, RI — Former Cranston Mayor Steve Laffey has ended his campaign for U.S. president.

Laffey also said he left the Republican Party in a statement he released Friday. In the statement, Laffey said he "stayed faithful to the Republican Party" most of his life, but he believes the party has changed and no longer aligns with his values.

"What I've witnessed since 2015 has made it clear that our political sphere has deviated far from its ideals," Laffey said. "The Republican Party has become a laughingstock. From a celebrity-driven race for the presidency, to disturbing events in the House of Representatives, it has become painfully apparent that the Republican Party no longer exists. What used to be a Grand Old Party is now simply a placard for anyone to say anything, no matter how hurtful, and no matter how false.

"Donald Trump is certainly the significant factor in this rapid movement towards authoritarianism and away from the core principles of freedom and economic growth," Laffey added. "As the first candidate to challenge the dominance of Trump's influence, I believed that there was a yearning in the Republican heart for a candidate free from his shadow. However, the past eight months have proven me wrong."

Before running for president, Laffey served as Cranston's mayor from 2003 to 2007. As mayor, Laffey took over the city with the lowest bond rating in the U.S. His supporters credit him with initiating the most rapid fiscal turnaround in American history.

Then in 2006, Laffey ran for U.S. Senate but lost the Republican primary to then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee.

Laffey then moved to Colorado and ran for a U.S. House seat in 2014. He placed fourth in a four-way GOP primary there. He then ran a ranch and made a film called "Fixing America."

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