WASHINGTON — Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who as recently as midsummer was seen as one of the leading candidates for the Republican nomination, said Monday that he was quitting the race, calling on other GOP hopefuls to exit the contest as well to clear the way for a single candidate to challenge front-runner Donald Trump. “I believe that I am being called to lead by helping to clear the field,” Walker said in a statement to reporters in Madison, the state capital. “I encourage other Republican presidential candidates to consider doing the same so that the voters can focus on a limited number of candidates who can offer a positive, conservative alternative to the current front-runner.” The GOP campaign has “drifted into personal attacks,” he said, without ever naming Trump. Changing that is “fundamentally important to the future of the party and more importantly to the future of the country.” Walker is the second high-profile dropout this month in a campaign reshaped by voter demand for candidates outside the ranks of traditional politicians. His departure from the race follows that of former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Both men quit after rapidly fading polls led to dwindling campaign donations. In Walker’s case, the decline was particularly steep — he was in second place in some polls early this summer, but lost nearly all his support. A CNN/ORC poll released Sunday had him at zero.…
