Former Texas Rep. Will Hurd announced Monday that he is suspending his 2024 presidential campaign and encouraged the other Republican candidates in the race to consolidate against the frontrunner for the nomination, former President Donald Trump.

Hurd, who sits in dead last at 0.2% in FiveThirtyEight's GOP presidential polling average, "wholeheartedly" endorsed former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley as the candidate to defeat Trump.

"When I first entered the Republican presidential primary field in June, I knew I was a dark horse candidate with a path to victory that would contain many obstacles," Hurd wrote. "But as I traveled across the country, I met so many Americans who believed in my campaign’s message of unity and common sense."

"Unfortunately, it has become clear to me and my team that the time has come to suspend our campaign," Hurd continued. "While I appreciate all the time and energy our supporters have given, it is important to recognize the realities of the political landscape and the need to consolidate our party around one person to defeat both Donald Trump and President [Joe] Biden."

Hurd, an outspoken Trump critic, urged donors, voters and the other candidates in the race to "unite around an alternative candidate," warning that "otherwise, we will repeat the same errors as in 2016."

"If the Republican party nominates Donald Trump or the various personalities jockeying to imitate his divisive, crass behavior, we will lose," the former CIA officer said.

Hurd said he entered for three reasons: preserving American democracy, preventing a Trump-Joe Biden rematch and tackling “generation-defining challenges” like artificial intelligence, U.S. relations with China, immigration policy and border security.

But, 14 weeks in, Hurd is calling it quits. In a statement last month on the night of the second GOP debate, Hurd said his team was “constantly evaluating whether we have the resources to chart a path to victory.”

As of June 30, the last date campaign finance data is available for, Hurd had roughly $245,000 in his coffers. Leading candidates in the race have raised tens of millions. The next round of campaign finance filings will be made public on Oct. 15.

Hurd is former three-term congressman who announced his run for the Republican nomination in explicit opposition to Trump.

“America needs to change course. America needs common-sense leadership in these complicated times,” Hurd said as he announced his candidacy. “President Biden can’t solve these problems – or won’t, and if the GOP makes the mistake of nominating a lawless, selfish, proven loser like Donald Trump then Joe Biden will win again in November 2024.”

The Texas native worked for the CIA from 2000 to 2010, joining the agency straight out of college. He served in Congress from 2015 to 2019, spending the ensuing years working on technology and national security policy in the public and private sectors.

Other "dark horse" Republican candidates have dropped out after missing the debates or failing to gain traction. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez ended his campaign in August and Steve Laffey, the former mayor of Rhode Island's second largest city, dropped out last week.