Republican Herman Cain ended his bid for the White House on Saturday in Atlanta. The former pizza magnate's campaign unraveled over complaints of sexual harassment and a Georgia businesswoman's allegation that she had a 13-year affair with the Cain.
Addressing his supporters, Cain said the accusations made it impossible for him to carry on.
SOUNDBITE: Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain saying:
"I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt, caused on me and my family - not because we are not fighters, not because I am not a fighter, it's just that when I went through this re-assessment of the impact on my family, first, the impact on you, my supporters."
Cain's impressive life story and his promise to revive the economy won him the support of many conservatives and made him the Republican frontrunner in October.
Outside the White House, Americans responded to the news.
SOUNDBITE: Candace Mills saying:
"It's kind of, I thought, refreshing, that we didn't have just the mainstream, generic, cookie-cutter candidate."
SOUNDBITE: Michael Quinn, Visitor saying:
"It's a shame for him personally. He was never a serious candidate, it's a good thing he's out of the race."
SOUNDBITE: Anna Quinn saying:
"It's totally expected that he would do this and he should have run with this many skeletons in the closet and he put his ego in front of his family, so he should have never been a candidate."
SOUNDBITE: Jane Maclellan saying:
"I am surprised it didn't happen sooner and I am surprised he didn't discontinue his campaign totally, rather than just suspend it. It makes me wonder what comes next, whether he's considering getting back into the race at some point when things quiet down.
His decision to suspend his campaign comes just weeks before Republicans head to the polls for the primaries.
Deborah Gembara, Reuters.