Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry became the first candidate to drop out of the 2016 presidential campaign this evening, as USA Today reports:

Rick Perry drops out of 2016 race

Former Texas governor Rick Perry is suspending his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination after failing to convince primary voters to give him a second look.

Perry also withdrew from the 2012 field after finishing fifth in the Iowa caucuses. He had been scheduled to participate in the lower-tier debate hosted by CNN next week….

Perry …