Michael Bennet drops out of 2020 presidential race, after New Hampshire primary

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Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bennet on calls for witness testimony at Senate impeachment trial

Senate Democrats and Republicans spar over witness testimony rules at impeachment trial; insight from Colorado Senator Michael Bennet, Democratic presidential candidate.

Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet suspended his 2020 presidential bid Tuesday, as early results from New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary showed him failing to break out of the crowded Democratic field.

Bennet, 55, entered the presidential race later than many of his rivals and staked his bid on trying to win New Hampshire.

"I appreciate the fact that you gave me a chance here," Bennet told supporters on Tuesday night.

The candidate acknolwedged that "tonight is not going to be our night, but let me say this to New Hampshire, you may see me once again."

Bennet formally announced his candidacy in late April as the seventh senator and second moderate from Colorado to join the field, making it difficult for him to stand out.

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Bennet ran as a moderate and made a point of slamming some candidates for their liberal proposals, like "Medicare-for-all" and free college.

Bennet, instead, ran on what he called the “Real Deal” platform which included more modest goals, including annual payments of at least $3,000 to families with children under the age of 18, allowing people to buy into an expanded form of Medicare.

Bennet struggled to register in polls in New Hampshire, even as he campaigned there more than other candidates and held 50 town halls in the final 10 weeks before the primary.

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Bennet’s late entrance to the race came after he completed treatment for prostate cancer, and because of the timeline of his announcement of his bid, he barely qualified for the first presidential debate. Bennet then began pushing back on the Democratic National Committee’s debate qualification rules, complaining about the unfair advantage for some who had been campaigning on cable television for months, and even years, earlier.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and the Associated Press contributed to this report.