ST. PAUL — Former Republican Party Chairman Keith Downey is ending his campaign for governor.

Downey’s announcement comes in the wake of former two-term Gov. Tim Pawlenty entering the race. Campaign figures released Tuesday showed Pawlenty had quickly raised $1 million, almost 10 times that of his nearest competitor.

Downey said in his announcement Wednesday that the opportunity for him to win “has closed.”

He didn’t endorse any remaining candidate.