WASHINGTON (AP): Pete Buttigieg has ended his campaign for president with a call for unity.

The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, fared poorly in South Carolina’s primary and said Sunday night that the path had narrowed to “a close” for his candidacy.

Buttigieg told cheering supporters that at this point in the race for the Democratic nomination, the best way to keep faith with his campaign’s goals and ideals is to step aside and help bring the party and the country together.

Buttigieg rose from a political unknown to a top-tier contender and the first openly gay candidate to seriously compete for the presidency.