No Ticket to Ride: Jon Huntsman's Out

Jon Huntsman is out of the GOP presidential race, dwindling the options for moderate Republican-primary voters.

Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman has decided to end his presidential candidacy and will formally exit the race on Monday, according to two sources briefed on his thinking. He is expected to endorse former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.“This was his decision alone,” said one former adviser. “Alone.” Huntsman had pledged to soldier on after a disappointing third place finish last week in New Hampshire’s primary. He insisted his showing amounted to a “ticket to ride” to South Carolina.But, political reality seems to have hit Huntsman and his team over the last few days as polling in the Palmetto State, which will hold its primary on Jan. 21, showed him in single digits.Source: the Washington Post.

With few choices left for moderate Republicans besides voting for Mitt Romney or not at all, will this all but guarantee the former Massachusetts governor's nomination — and boost President Obama's chances in the general election? The truth is, it's still early, and anything could happen to change the dynamic in this race.

Sheryl Huggins Salomon is senior editor-at-large of The Root and a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based editorial consultant. Follow her on Twitter.