Far-trailing Tancredo expected to quit race

Representative Tom Tancredo, whose forceful opposition to illegal immigration vaulted him to national prominence, plans to announce he is abandoning his long-shot bid for the Republican presidential primary, a person close to the candidate said yesterday.

The campaign office of the five-term Colorado congressman scheduled a major announcement this afternoon in Des Moines. Tancredo plans to announce his withdrawal then, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity, lacking authorization to speak for Tancredo or his campaign.

Tancredo, who has consistently polled at the back of the nine-person GOP field, has based his campaign on opposition to illegal immigration, a top issue for Republicans in Iowa and many areas of the country. He has run controversial television ads that link lax border security to terrorist attacks, rape, and other crimes.