Former astronaut Jay Buckey (D) has dropped out of the Senate race, completely clearing an already easy path for former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen to win the Democratic nod and face Sen. John Sununu (R) this November.

“I remain committed to the goals of our campaign, but I do not have the financial resources needed to campaign full-time for the next nine months, which is what would be required to beat John Sununu,” Buckey said in a statement.

Shaheen released a statement commending Buckey’s campaign.

“Defeating John Sununu will be no easy task, so having Jay’s support in this great effort to change the direction of the country means a great deal to me,” she said.

Buckey was the last Democratic holdout who stayed in the race when Shaheen decided to run in September 2007. Other Democrats, including Portsmouth Mayor Steve Marchand and former Congressional candidate Katrina Swett, left the primary after Shaheen announced that she was getting into the race.

Sununu and Shaheen faced each other in 2002, a contest the junior Senator won by 4 points. The most recent independent poll on the race showed Shaheen with a 17-point lead.
— Shira Toeplitz