Saganash to bow out of NDP leadership race

Romeo Saganash is dropping out of the NDP leadership race.

The Canadian Press has learned that Saganash will announce his withdrawal from the race Friday morning in Val d'Or, Que.

Sources say the Cree leader and northern Quebec MP has decided to call it quits in part due to illness in his family.

Moreover, his low-key campaign has simply failed to catch fire with the more than 100,000 New Democrats who will be eligible to choose their next leader on March 24.

A source close to Saganash says he's unlikely to throw his support to any of the remaining seven contenders in the contest —at least not right away.

The other contenders are Montreal MP Thomas Mulcair, former party president Brian Topp, Toronto MP Peggy Nash, Ottawa MP Paul Dewar, British Columbia MP Nathan Cullen, Manitoba MP Niki Ashton and Nova Scotia pharmacist Martin Singh.