LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. -- Fred Karger, who made history as the first openly gay Republican candidate for president, said Friday that he was ending his campaign.

The Republican establishment largely ignored Karger's bid, and Fox News and other media organizations denied him from appearing in any of the presidential debates, thus muffling his voice.

Karger issued the following statement:

SAN DIEGO -- Fred who?

You know, that guy running for President of the United States. The one who made history as the first-ever openly gay candidate seeking the highest office in the land. The guy who launched the humorous “Fred who?” campaign to drum up his recognition factor.

TOWSON, MARYLAND – In a speech at Towson University last night, Republican Presidential candidate Fred Karger issued a challenge to three of the other four remaining GOP candidates:

“Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich -- you should immediately disavow the National Organization for Marriage’s Pledge that each of you signed. We now have the proof that NOM is an unethical and deceitful operation,” Karger told the class on Presidential Politics.

Mitt Romney is on a roll, winning both the Iowa Republican Caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Still, he has yet to win a majority of the votes in either state, showing that the majority of Republican voters are not quite sold on him as their nominee.