(Facebook.com/Setti Warren)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Saying the money just isn't there to run the kind of campaign he wants to run, Setti Warren has withdrawn his bid to become governor.
In a statement posted on his campaign Facebook page Thursday morning, Warren said money was the one thing that has always stood in his campaign's way.
"Even though we raised a lot of money from small-dollar donations, raising the kind of money we need to build a grassroots campaign that can take on Charlie Baker has been our biggest challenge from Day 1," he said. "Today, I have come to the difficult realization that this challenge is insurmountable."
Democratic strategist Mary Ann Marsh told WBZ NewsRadio 1030 it's a surprise to many that he's out, but not shocking as to why.
"He's had a tough time raising money, as have the other two candidates in this race," she said. "But many people expected him to win the nomination at the Democratic Convention in June. Many people expected him to win the primary."
Jay Gonzalez and Bob Massie are still in the race and looking to face off against Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
Gonzalez thanked Warren for his contributions in a statement Thursday.
"It was a pleasure spending time with Setti over the last year on the campaign trail," he said. "I appreciate the sacrifice he and his family have made in the name of public service, and I wish them all the best."
Massie commented on Warren's campaign suspension on Twitter:
But Gonzalez and Massie face a huge disadvantage in fundraising.
"A lot of money, the most popular governor in the polls in the country, and everything else," Marsh said of Baker. "And not one of them have been able to really get a foothold against him."
According to the Boston Globe, Gov. Baker raised more than $250,000 in the first couple of weeks of April--while Warren raised just $16,000, Gonzalez about $10,000, and Massie less than that.
"Though this effort was unsuccessful, I still believe in my heart that I have the capacity to help people," Warren said in his statement. "I will continue to look for new ways to serve."
Listen to Marsh and WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Josh Binswanger: