Steve Laffey Ends Presidential Campaign

Former Mayor of Cranston Resigns from Republican Party after 40 Years

After eight months on the campaign trail, that featured campaign stops from New Hampshire to Iowa, Republican Steve Laffey is ending his bid for the Republican Presidential nomination.

The former Mayor of Cranston, RI is exiting the race and taking immediate action. After more than 40 years as a registered Republican, Laffey is also resigning from the party, effective immediately.

Steve Laffey had been a regular guest andco-host, for much of 2022, on the popular In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse video podcast. Laffey has agreed to a “Xtra Innings Dugout” interview request, with the segment tentatively scheduled to air Monday, October 9 at 4:00 pm EST, here.

As he exits the race for the White House, Laffey has released the following statement:

“The times truly have changed. For over a decade, I have grappled with profound shifts in our political stance and in the Republican Party’s core views. I was kept out of the limelight ever since the heart-wrenching day in 2015, when my daughter Sarah was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. Today, as I choose to end my campaign for President of the United States, I reflect on my dedication to the Republican Party. For 44 years, ever since I was a teenager, I stayed faithful to the Republican Party. From establishing a conservative newspaper at a liberal college, to running for public office as a Republican in Rhode Island—a notoriously Democratic state–, to even remaining a Republican after I was attacked by the National Republican Party (NRP) after running for the U.S. Senate, to writing a book concerning the rejuvenation of the Republican Party, I had always felt that the Republican Party’s principles reflected my own. I have always stood by those principles that make up the foundation of our nation. I truly believed that the Republican Party stood for justice, transparency, and for bettering the lives of the people that live in these great United States.

However, what I’ve witnessed since 2015 has made it clear that our political sphere has deviated far from its ideals. 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. 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.

Both sides of our split media claim to value confronting problems head-on while reporting their version of the truth. However, it often seems to be more in favor of sensationalism over substance. Serious policies and honest debates have taken a backseat, and it’s disheartening to witness candidates utter falsehoods without fear of accountability from those in the media that should be calling them out. The most shocking moment was the nonchalance displayed towards President Trump’s conviction of sexual abuse, further spotlighting the broken moral compass of our times. As an evangelical Christian, the fact that this moment did not galvanize all Christians against Trump is a failure so profound that it is unforgivable. When Trump took to St. Anselm’s College the next day for a Town Hall event, I was the only one to call for the St. Anselm’s event leaders to resign.  Let me repeat myself: The only one. From everyone else, there was only silence. Has it not been proven countless times in history that silence is what brings a nation to its knees?

My campaign was perhaps one of the last strongholds offering sincere solutions to our country’s pressing issues. Unfortunately, as has been abundantly clear in the last few months, the idea of celebrity has destroyed any candidate with substance or a true desire to help others. During my time in the race, I have watched candidates lie to get into debates. I saw complete sycophants and turncoats run for President. Some told voters that they still loved Donald Trump and thought he was a great President, while others only turned their backs on him when they didn’t gain employment with their endorsements.  Disgusting.

As the first candidate to challenge the dominance of Trump’s influence, I believed there was a yearning in the republican heart for a candidate free from his shadow. But the past months have proven me wrong. The media, which claims to value confronting problems head-on, often seems to be more in favor of sensationalism over substance. Serious policies and honest debates have taken a backseat, and it’s disheartening to witness candidates utter falsehoods without fear of accountability.

The title of my first book, “Primary Mistake, How the Washington Republican Establishment Lost Everything in 2006” (Penguin Books 2007), was an effort to restore the Republican Party’s direction. My next book may be aptly named “Secondary Mistake, I Came, I Saw, I Wept”, as it’s become abundantly clear that the chasm within the party and our political system may be beyond mending.

In reflection, I realize that my past endeavors, from Rhode Island to Colorado, have been colored by my earnest belief that genuine effort and good governance would be recognized and rewarded. But politics, it seems, is a game of recognition, not of merit.  I have failed to get the American public to take corrective action before it is too late.

My 2006 Senate race failed.  My movie, Fixing America (2011) failed to change the course of our country, and now, as the real crisis is upon us, I have failed again.  The poor and the middle class will suffer even more due to my failure. To my investors and friends, I am sorry.

Today, as I conclude my campaign and resign from the Republican Party, I hope that someone, somewhere, will pick up the torch and guide our great nation back to its true essence. But for now, it’s time for me to step aside.  I pray that the burden of the millions suffering will be lifted from me.  It has not happened yet.

“It’s a good question to be asking right now, What’ll you put up with, what’ll you allow?” Jackson Browne, Until Justice is Real.

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The Laffey campaign would like to thank the media and all supporters who have followed along on our journey. This may have started as a grassroots campaign, but it truly grew into a strong examination of our political system.