Lessig drops out of presidential race

Presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig dropped out of the race Nov 2, accusing the Democratic Party of shutting him out of its debates. The Harvard law professor and former tech advocate, who ran an unorthodox campaign focused almost solely on campaign finance, said his only chance of success was to get a slot in the primary debates.

"I must today end my campaign for the Democratic nomination and turn to the question of how best to continue to press for this reform now," he said in a YouTube video. He blamed the Democratic Party for changing its debate rules midstream, adding that he wanted to run as a Democrat, but "the party won't let me." When asked about an independent run, he said, "nothing (legal) has been ruled out."