Kevin O'Leary is ending his run for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada.
On Wednesday, the businessman and reality TV star announced that he has decided against attempting a career in politics and, instead, will throw his support behind Maxime Bernier.
"The Conservative Party needs someone who has the best chance of beating [Prime Minister Justin] Trudeau. Someone who will command the support of Canadians from every region of the country and who can build a consensus among all members of the party," said O'Leary in a statement. "I have worked like hell on this campaign and I want the DNA of my policies and objectives to survive into the general election. The candidate that best mirrors my policies is Maxime Bernier.
"I’m going to do everything I can to ensure he gets elected, and I’m going to ask my supporters to do the same. Together we will drive Justin Trudeau out of power in 2019."
O'Leary cited a lack of support in Quebec and weak second ballot support as reasons for ending his candidacy.
"There are 78 seats in Quebec, and the Conservative Party currently holds only 12 of them. In other words, the Liberals politically own Quebec," said O'Leary. "Without growing the Conservative base in Quebec, beating Trudeau in 2019 would be a huge challenge."
The news of O'Leary's departure from the race comes as the candidates for the party leadership gather in Toronto for the final debate.
"This was not an easy decision for me to make but after much thought and deliberation, it is the right one for the Conservative party and the country," said O'Leary.
- With files from Scott Kitching