Two of the three Democrats who wanted to succeed Rep. Bart Stupak (D) are now out of the race.

Connie Saltonstall and Matt Gillard dropped out this week.

Gillard endorsed the only remaining Democratic hopeful, state Rep. Gary McDowell, but Saltonstall exited with complaints about favoritism.

Before Stupak decided to retire, Saltonstall had been challenging him from the left, with the backing of abortion rights groups. But Democrats had been worried that without an abortion foe like Stupak on the ballot, their chances of keeping the seat would diminish.

Saltonstall accused her state party chairman, Mark Brewer, of “subverting the primary process.”

He “made it clear I wouldn’t have the support of the party. I wouldn’t be able to raise the kind of money I would need,” she told the Detroit News. “Voters should choose their candidate, not Mark Brewer.”

Brewer said he wouldn’t “talk about internal discussions.”