CLAY COUNTY – When a candidate decides to end a presidential bid, they often say the campaign has been “suspended” rather than they’ve dropped out.

Under election law, the phrase “suspending a campaign” has no formal meaning. So why “suspend a campaign” instead of “exiting a race”? There are two important reasons – delegates and money.

Candidates who suspend their campaigns usually get to keep any delegates they’ve won, and they can continue to raise money beyond what’s needed to retire their campaign debts. In contrast, candidates who drop out of a race usually have to forfeit certain delegates and are limited in how they can raise future funds. If a candidate “ended” their campaign instead of merely “suspending” it, they might lose eligibility for federal matching funds to help pay off their debts.

The Federal Election Commission, in fact, doesn’t consider a campaign completely over until its debts are paid off, loans are settled, and its cash has been transferred into other accounts. One more reason to suspend a campaign? Theoretically, if the political climate changes dramatically, a suspended campaign could return to life.

Suspending a Campaign vs. Withdrawing. The phrase has been employed at least as far back as the 1970s and continues to serve as the most popular way for candidates to end their primary bids without closing down their campaign committees. Though several presidential candidates have announced the suspension of their campaigns, their names will still appear on the Presidential Preference Primary ballot due to the fact the ballot has already been produced.

If you have questions or need more information, call our office at (904) 269-6350 or visit ClayElections.gov, your source for verified election information.