Former Massachusetts Governor William Weld announced Tuesday he is dropping out of the race for New York state governor.

Weld decided to drop out of the race after some of the state's top Republicans urged him to do so for the sake of party unity. Weld was trying to become the first man since Sam Houston to be the governor of two states. Last week, Weld was defeated in a quest for the GOP nomination by the former state Assembly minority leader John Faso. Now, Weld is backing Faso.

Weld said at a press conference that there is a time to look beyond one?s aspiration for the bigger picture. He added that this is not the time for a contested primary.

Related Information:State GOP chairman asks Weld to end New York gubernatorial bid