Vote 2012: Bachmann Ending GOP Presidential Bid

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., center, joined by husband Marcus, left, family and friends, announces that she will end her campaign for president Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012, in West Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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By Eric Stidman

Story Created: Jan 4, 2012 at 11:07 AM CDT

Story Updated: Jan 4, 2012 at 3:22 PM CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Michele Bachmann is quitting the Republican presidential campaign, saying she's "decided to stand aside" in the wake of her sixth place finish in the Iowa precinct caucuses.

Speaking deliberatively at a news conference in Des Moines, Bachmann said she had "no regrets" whatsoever and said she ran her race with integrity and will continue to fight for the causes she emphasized on the campaign trail.

It has been a long, deep slide for the Minnesota congresswoman, who enjoyed a high point in her campaign when she won a Republican straw poll in Ames, Iowa several months ago.

In her statement, Bachmann referred repeatedly to "Obamacare" and said the Republican Party must not miss a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to repeal both the sweeping health care law under Obama's watch and the financial regulation law known as Dodd-Frank.

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