Coming to grips with the “political reality” that this is not his time, Michael Brown, a mayoral candidate who has languished well behind the campaign front-runners, dropped out of the race Thursday and threw his support to D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp.

“I’m leaving this race for the same reason I entered it, for the people,” Brown, a lobbyist, told supporters and media gathered outside his campaign headquarters across from the D.C. Convention Center.