DFL gubernatorial candidate Steve Kelley announced he is dropping out of the race on Thursday following a poor showing at TuesdayâÄôs party caucuses. In an e-mailed statement, Kelley did not specify his reasons for withdrawing, but he did say he would support the DFL nomination once itâÄôs made. âÄúTo repair the damage done to our state, we must endorse a candidate in April, unite behind that candidate and win in November,âÄù Kelley said. Kelley served in the state Legislature from 1992 to 2006 and currently teaches as a senior fellow at the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota . He officially announced his campaign in October 2009. Kelley only received 4.1 percent of the vote in TuesdayâÄôs party caucus straw polls. He was also at a fundraising disadvantage, having raised only $187,000 in 2009 , sixth among DFL gubernatorial candidates.