Republican Bill O'Brien has dropped out of the Senate race to unseat incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., saying his campaign does not have enough financial resources, and has endorsed fellow Republican Bryant "Corky" Messner.
O'Brien, a businessman and former speaker of the New Hampshire House, was one of several Republicans seeking their party's nomination for the seat Shaheen has held for two terms. Retired Brig. General Don Bolduc also is running.
O'Brien told WMUR-TV he is convinced Messner is "conservative in his core" and has the necessary financial resources to compete with, and defeat Shaheen in November.
O'Brien, 68, said he wants to return to the New Hampshire House and represent Nashua, where he moved to several years ago after living in Mont Vernon for a long time.
"New Hampshire is my love, and I'm going to do anything I can to serve the state," O'Brien said.
O'Brien had announced his candidacy last July, calling himself a "common sense conservative and lover of freedom."