---
title: "Gingrich Bows Out as the General Election Battle Takes Shape"
description: "<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]&gt; &lt;![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]&gt;  /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:\"Table Normal\"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:\"\"; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:\"Calibri\",\"sans-serif\"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:\"Times New Roman\"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}  &lt;![endif]--> <p> Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich ended his presidential campaign with a final week of unflattering and relatively sparse coverage and Mitt Romney's campaign narrative appeared to benefit from some high profile endorsements.<br /> </p>"
date: "2012-05-07"
authors:
  - name: "Pew Research Center: Journalism &amp; Media staff"
    job_title: "Guest Contributor"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/05/07/pejselectionanalysis/"
categories:
  - "Election 2012"
  - "Leaders"
---

# Gingrich Bows Out as the General Election Battle Takes Shape

#

[![](https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/legacy/u29/PEJ_ElectionWebBanner.jpg)](/commentary_backgrounder/PEJ%27s+Election+Analysis)

**PEJ's weekly examination of the coverage and conversation about the presidential race. [About Campaign 2012 in the Media](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/04/23/romney-report/) **

## May 7 update

[if gte mso 9]

Newt Gingrich's official exit from the presidential race on May 2 was greeted with the kind of coverage he experienced throughout the 2012 primary season-a sharply negative narrative. Read more [here](https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2012/04/23/romney-report/).

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