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    Elections

    Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie drop out of race

    Republican Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina leaves Blake's Restaurant after a campaign event February 8, 2016 in Manchester, New Hampshire.
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    Republican Presidential candidate Carly Fiorina leaves Blake's Restaurant after a campaign event February 8, 2016 in Manchester, New Hampshire.

    GOP hopefuls Carly Fiorina and Chris Christie dropped out of the presidential race Wednesday.

    Fiorina announced the suspension of her campaign via Twitter.

    Promising to "continue to serve in order to restore citizen government to this great nation so that together we may fulfill our potential" in a statement, the former HP executive also reflected on feminism's role in politics.

    "To young girls and women across the country, I say: do not let others define you," she said. "Do not listen to anyone who says you have to vote a certain way or for a certain candidate because you're a woman. That is not feminism. Feminism doesn't shut down conversations or threaten women."

    Separately, NBC News confirmed Wednesday that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie plans to suspend his presidential campaign as well.

    Christie had said Tuesday night that he intended to go back home from New Hampshire instead of heading on to South Carolina for the next GOP test.

    Christie performed worse than his campaign had hoped in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary: Businessman Donald Trump won the night as expected, but the tight competition for GOP runner-up went to Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

    The New Jersey governor's camp had hoped that a strong showing in the Granite State could catapult him into the top tier of the Republican pack. Instead, Christie came in sixth place — behind Trump, Kasich, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

    "(My message) was heard by a lot of folks, and it was stood for by a lot of folks here in New Hampshire, just not enough. Not enough tonight," Christie said in a somber Tuesday speech.

    "And that's okay...I have both won elections that I was supposed to lose and I have lost elections that I was supposed to win," he added. "And what that means is you never know, and it's both the magic and the mystery of politics that you never quite know when which is going to happen — even when you think you do."

    Christie said he didn't have "an ounce of regret" for the time he spent in New Hampshire.

    Perhaps his best remembered contribution to the presidential race will be Christie's criticisms of Rubio in Saturday's debate. Calling out the Florida senator's propensity for sticking to talking points, Christie apparently dealt real damage to his rival's chances — without gaining any ground for his own campaign.