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James Skoufis, a little-known New York state senator whose long-shot campaign to lead the Democratic National Committee failed to catch fire, has dropped out of the race and endorsed Ken Martin, the Minnesota Democratic chairman who has drawn the most support so far.
Mr. Skoufis, 37, had pitched himself as a party outsider with a track record of winning in a district full of voters who also backed President-elect Donald J. Trump. But his lack of prior relationships with the 448 members of the national committee made the task of winning commitments to vote for him in the party’s Feb. 1 election too steep.
“I am throwing my full weight behind ensuring Ken Martin is the next chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Mr. Skoufis said in statement circulated Thursday. “I endorse Ken in the strongest possible terms and will use my time between now and Feb. 1 to make sure he’s our next chair.”
Mr. Skoufis’s decision was reported earlier by Politico.
There are no public polls or tallies tracking the candidates’ support in the race to lead a party still reeling from a devastating defeat in November. But Mr. Martin, who in his own statement called Mr. Skoufis “an effective, fresh messenger,” has claimed to have the most support, an assertion backed up by Democratic officials who are watching the race closely.
Ben Wikler, the Wisconsin Democratic chairman, is considered to be Mr. Martin’s closest challenger, while former Gov. Martin O’Malley of Maryland is also drawing some support.
On Wednesday, Faiz Shakir, who was campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, entered the race, saying the existing candidates were uninspiring.
Several other candidates are also in the race, including Marianne Williamson, the two-time presidential candidate, and Nate Taylor, who was a homeland security official in the Obama and Biden administrations.
The party is set to hold a forum Thursday in Detroit for chair candidates to speak to its Midwestern members.
Jaime Harrison, the current party chairman, is not seeking re-election to a second term.
