An outspoken critic of COVID vaccine mandates who once faced calls for censure after Democrats accused her of helping bring fringe right-wing groups into the mainstream, Maddox was a polarizing figure at the height of pandemic protests.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the gubernatorial hopeful thanked supporters but said, despite extensive fundraising efforts, “it is clear that we will not have the resources needed to be successful in this campaign.”
Maddox ran a more confrontational campaign than other Republicans who remain in the crowded primary field, describing herself as an “authentic conservative” alternative to “moderate Republicans who straddle the fence.”
Maddox once touted a Trump endorsement in a run for state representative, but did not receive the official backing of the former president in the governor’s race.
Closing on a defiant note, Maddox wrote, “Our movement, our DEMAND for republican leadership that adheres to the Constitution and the party platform, has just begun. We’re growing, we’re watching, and we’re taking names.”
