ATLANTA – A defiant Herman Cain suspended his faltering bid for the Republican presidential nomination Saturday amid a drumbeat of sexual misconduct allegations against him, throwing his staunchly conservative supporters up for grabs with just one month to go before the lead-off caucuses in Iowa.

Cain condemned the accusations as “false and unproven” but said they had been hurtful to his family, particularly his wife, Gloria, and were drowning out his ability to deliver his message. His wife stood behind him on the stage, smiling and waving as the crowd chanted her name.

Additional Photos

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain bows and his wife, Gloria, applauds as Cain arrives on stage for his announcement Saturday in Atlanta, at what was to have been the opening of his national campaign headquarters. The Associated Press

“So as of today, with a lot of prayer and soul-searching, I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distractions and the continued hurt caused on me and my family,” Cain told about 400 supporters.

Cain’s announcement came five days after an Atlanta-area woman, Ginger White, claimed she and Cain had an affair for more than a decade, a claim that followed several allegations of sexual harassment against the Georgia businessman.

“Now, I have made many mistakes in life. Everybody has. I’ve made mistakes professionally, personally, as a candidate, in terms of how I run my campaign. And I take responsibility for the mistakes I’ve made, and I have been the very first to own up to any mistakes I’ve made,” he said.

But Cain intoned: “I am at peace with my God. I am at peace with my wife. And she is at peace with me.”

White’s attorney said a in statement after the announcement that Cain had disparaged his client and should apologize. Cain had called her a “troubled Atlanta businesswoman” whom he had tried to help.

“We continue to encourage Mr. Cain to retract these statements and apologize for the way he has characterized these women in the media,” Edward Buckley said.

Cain’s announcement provides a new twist in what has already been a volatile Republican race. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has, so far, been the biggest beneficiary of Cain’s precipitous slide.

Polls show Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney atop the field in what is shaping up as a two-man race heading into early voting states.

But others, such as Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, are also likely to make a strong play for Cain’s anti-establishment tea party backing as they look to rise as a viable alternative to Romney.

Cain said he would offer an endorsement, and his former rivals were quick to issue statements Saturday praising his conservative ideals and grass-roots appeal.

At a tea party rally in Staten Island, Gingrich praised Cain for bringing optimism and big ideas to the race.

“He had the courage to launch the 9-9-9 plan, which, whether you liked it or disliked it, was a big idea and started to elevate the debate toward big solutions and not the usual nitpicking, consultant-driven negativity,” Gingrich said.

He was referring to Cain’s catchy but controversial plan to scrap the current tax code for a 9 percent tax on personal and corporate income as well as a new 9 percent national sales tax.

Some disappointed Cain supporters were clearly in search of a candidate Saturday following his withdrawal.

“I don’t know where I will go now,” Janet Edwards, 52, said after Cain’s announcement. “I guess I have to start looking at the rest of them.”

Cain told supporters he planned to continue his efforts to influence Washington and announced “Plan B” — what he called a grass-roots effort to return government to the people.

Related Stories