Ben Carson see 'no political path forward,' will miss debate

Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson is effectively ending his campaign after a poor finish across the Super Tuesday primaries.

Carson says in a statement Wednesday that he sees "no path forward" to the nomination and says he will not attend Thursday's GOP debate in Michigan.

Armstrong Williams, Carson's longtime business manager, tells the Associated Press it's "just the reality" that "there's only one candidate in this 2016 election on the GOP side, and his name is (Donald) Trump."

Williams adds that Sens. Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz also "have no path" and should drop out.

It was not immediately clear whether Carson will officially suspend his campaign, but Williams says he no longer will actively seek votes.

Another Carson aide, Larry Ross, said Carson will offer "more details" when he speaks Friday at the CPAC gathering, an annual conservative confab.

The following statement was posted to Carson's official Facebook page on Wednesday:

I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit. Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening's Super Tuesday primary results. However, this grassroots movement on behalf of "We the People" will continue. Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to Saving America for Future Generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation.

I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interests of the American people.

I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.