On September 22, 2011, McCotter notified The Detroit News he would withdraw from the presidential race. He explained it "was sort of death by media" because of the exclusion from the presidential debates, and argued "if they keep you out of the debates, you are out of the conversation and you can't run."[55] He then released a statement in which he endorsed Mitt Romney for president, and called on the Republican Party to unite behind Romney as the most electable candidate. In the press release, McCotter also announced that he would run for re-election in his congressional district.[56]