Alaska Gov. Bill Walker, a political independent, halted his re-election campaign on Friday and endorsed his Democratic challenger, ending a three-way race in which the Republican candidate had appeared to possess an insurmountable lead.
With just 18 days remaining before the Nov. 6 election, Walker, 67, said he concluded that he could not win a second term in a race against former U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, a Democrat, and former state legislator Mike Dunleavy, a Republican.
Walker's withdrawal came three days after his former running mate, Byron Mallott, abruptly resigned as lieutenant governor over admitted but unspecified "inappropriate comments" in a scandal that threw the governor's campaign into disarray.