Stacey Dash abandons race for Congress - here's why she gave up

Fox News favorite and Hollywood actress Stacey Dash has given up her campaign for a seat in Congress representing California's 44th district.

Here's why she gave up

In a statement released Friday, Dash gave her reasons for abandoning the campaign.

"I started this run with the intention to address the pressing issues in the district where I live," she said in a statement posted to her Twitter account. "I hoped, and remain hopeful, that I can assist people living here on the national level. My goal was, and remains, to improve the lives of people who have been forgotten for decades by the Democratic Party."

"At this point, I believe that the overall bitterness surrounding our political process, participating in the rigors of campaigning, and holding elected office would be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of my family," she explained. "I would never want to betray the personal and spiritual principles I believe in most: that my God and my family come first."

"My political positions have often been labeled as controversial," she said, "but the real controversy is how decades of government corruption and political disempowerment have created a system where skyrocketing home prices, dirty needles in the streets, and long bus trips to other districts for jobs are somehow considered acceptable by the government officials representing the 44th district."

"The people living here deserve better," she concluded, "I will continue to speak out about these and other problems facing this district, as well as the distractions that take the place of real change."

The "Clueless" star had opined on a range of issues on Fox News for years, and often raised the ire of liberals and Democrats who thought it unseemly for a black woman to vocalize conservative opinions. Dash became a Fox News contributor in 2014 but her contract wasn't renewed at the beginning of 2017.

The 44th is one of California's most diverse districts, with 51% Latino voters and 61% Democrat voters. Only 10% are Republicans, making it a very steep climb for any conservative.

Here's her entire statement from Twitter

Here's a video of Dash from one of her campaign appearances on MSNBC: