Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., who ditched the Republican Party last year, says he will not run for president, ending speculation he would seek the Libertarian Party's nod for a 2020 White House run.
Amash tweeted:
"After much reflection, I've concluded that circumstances do not lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate."
Amash, the lone independent in the House, added:
"I continue to believe that a candidate from outside the old parties, offering a vision of government grounded in liberty and equality, can break through in the right environment. But this environment presents extraordinary challenges."
Amash said political polarization and the coronavirus pandemic with its social distancing demands made it the wrong time for a third-party bid.
Amash was elected in the 2010 tea party wave but moved away from Republicans since then, fending off a primary challenge from a business-backed conservative in 2014. Since then, he has been sharply critical of President Donald Trump and GOP control of the legislative and executive branches.
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