Jackson Lahmeyer, the pastor who founded Pastors for Trump, abruptly suspended his campaign for Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District just one day after advancing to a Republican runoff.

Lahmeyer was still being presented as the Trump-backed candidate moving forward on Tuesday night. By Wednesday, President Trump publicly shifted his support to Mark Tedford.

The candidate faced backlash earlier in the week over alleged text messages that were published. Lahmeyer acknowledged he had crossed a boundary through messaging and announced he was suspending his campaign to avoid becoming a distraction to his family, church, or Oklahoma voters.

Lahmeyer’s withdrawal clears the Republican lane for Tedford in the deep-red Tulsa-area district, which is now critical after former Representative Kevin Hern launched a Senate bid. This has made the Republican nomination the central prize in a heavily red seat.