Lessig: I’m not dropping out like Webb

by Mario Trujillo - 10/20/15 3:54 PM ET

Longshot presidential candidate Lawrence Lessig says has no plans to drop out of the Democratic primary and potentially take up an independent bid like 2016 contender Jim Webb.

“[N]o, Jim Webb’s position is quite different from mine,” said Lessig in a brief email Tuesday. “From my perspective, he’s been given a pretty fair and decent chance to make his case. That’s all the fairness I’m seeking.”

{mosads}Webb announced Tuesday he was dropping out the Democratic primary because of policy differences but said he would consider an independent bid in the weeks ahead.

When Lessig first entered the Democratic primary, he vowed that if he dropped out, he would avoid running as an independent candidate who could possibly siphon votes away from the party’s ultimate nominee. But he has flirted with the idea in recent interviews, justifying it by saying the Democratic National Committee has largely ignored his campaign.

Lessig, a Harvard professor and technology advocate, is running a peculiar longshot campaign focused on campaign finance. He raised $1 million in small donations before announcing, vowing that if elected he would pass a single bill on campaign reform before resigning.

He recently backtracked on that vow, saying the pledge made voters not take him seriously and led the party to ignore him.

Less than a week after his reversal, Lessig says the lines of communication with the party are still closed.

“No, the Chair of the DNC is apparently still too busy to return my call,” he said.

Lessig has struggled to have his name included in polls. And when his name is included, he has struggled to garner any support, keeping him out of the first debate.

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However, he touted a Monmouth poll released Tuesday in which he registered 1 percent — the minimum threshold to qualify for the debates.

Candidates must register at least 1 percent in three separate approved polls within six weeks of a debate to qualify. The next Democratic debate will be hosted by CBS on Nov. 14.

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