Stacey Dash has withdrawn her bid in the congressional race.
In an email statement to CNN, Dash said, "After much prayer, introspection and discussions with my family, I am withdrawing my candidacy for California's 44th Congressional District." The district, which includes Compton, Watts, San Pedro, and North Long Beach, is currently represented by Democrat Nanette Barragán.
The Clueless star and former Fox News commentator announced that she would be running for Congress just last month. The Republican's campaign slogan was "Dash to D.C."
In the statement, she discussed her initial hopes in running. "I started this run with the intention to address the pressing issues in the district where I live. I hoped, and remain hopeful, that I can assist people living here on the national level. My goal was, and remains, to improve the lives of people who have been forgotten for decades by the Democratic Party."
The actress added, "At this point, I believe that the overall bitterness surrounding our political process, participating in the rigors of campaigning, and holding elected office would be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of my family. I would never want to betray the personal and spiritual principles I believe in most: that my God and my family come first."
California's 44th Congressional District has traditionally been represented by a Democrat. Chances are, Dash would have lost anyway: the district favored Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump 83 percent to 12 percent in the 2016 presidential election.
Dash recently came to the defense of Trump regarding his August 2017 decision to conflate neo-Nazis with "very fine people." She said "he's absolutely right" and added, "There were two extreme sides, and here’s what it boils down to: our right. They had a right to assemble. Both sides had a right, but they were both extremes. And here's what I said in the beginning, we have to listen to each other. If we do not listen, there will be no solutions. It's just a bunch of banter and noise."
