Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will announce on Monday that he is dropping his bid for the Republican presidential nomination after a disappointing finish in last week's New Hampshire primary, a source confirmed to National Journal.
Huntsman, who served as President Obama's ambassador to China, positioned himself as a pragmatic alternative to other Republican candidates. But he largely failed to catch fire, finishing a disappointing third place in New Hampshire after skipping the Iowa caucuses.
Huntsman will endorse Republican front-runner Mitt Romney, squashing any potential rumors that he will seek to run as an independent candidate.
The endorsement will take place at 11 a.m. EST at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where Huntsman had previously scheduled several campaign events on Monday.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified where the announcement would be made. Huntsman will announce his plans at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Lindsey Boerma contributed.
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