By Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press, 07/12/02

Democratic candidate Steve Grossman, who dropped out of the Massachusetts governor's race today, is embraced by his wife Barbara after announcing his decision at the Omni Parker House hotel. (Globe Staff Photo / Barry Chin)

BOSTON -- Steve Grossman, who spent millions on his campaign but failed to catch fire with ordinary voters, bowed out of the Democratic race for governor Friday, narrowing the field to four.

The former chairman of the Democratic National Committee said he made the decision after looking at new poll numbers that showed his candidacy stalled in the single digits.

"While we had improved in the polls, we hadn't improved enough," Grossman said. "We didn't think we had a legitimate chance of winning the five-way primary."

Grossman said he had no plans to endorse any of the remaining Democrats vying for the party's nomination: State Treasurer Shannon O'Brien, former labor secretary Robert Reich, former state Sen. Warren Tolman and Senate President Thomas Birmingham.

Each praised Grossman while making a pitch for his supporters.

"A lot of Steve's supporters have told me that they would like to be supporting me," said Birmingham, whose campaign has also struggled to gain traction.

Political observers said it's not clear who would gain the most. They said candidates may be more interested in tapping into the money that would have flowed into Grossman's campaign than appealing to his backers.

"If he had a legion of potential voters, he'd still be in the race," said Paul Watanabe, a political science professor at the University of Massachusetts at Boston.

Reich may get a bump from Grossman's departure if both are perceived as Beacon Hill outsiders, Watanabe said. Grossman said Reich's decision to jump into the race in January "had a significant impact on our ability to be competitive."

Reich said Grossman made a strong case for why an outside reformer with management experience is needed in the corner office.

"I share that conviction," Reich said.

O'Brien, who has polled at the top of the Democratic heap, said Grossman and Reich have long ties to the party and can't make the outsider claim.

She also predicted she would pick up "a terrific amount" of Grossman's support.

"There are many overlapping messages in our campaigns," she said.

Tolman, whose flagging campaign is anticipating a $2.4 million jolt of Clean Elections money, said Grossman pushed a reform message.

"He played a real role in talking about some issues that are very important to me, including prescription drugs and reforming Massachusetts state government," Tolman said.

Grossman raised about $4.6 million including $1 million of his own money and spent about $4 million, according to his campaign manager.

A poll of 600 Democratic voters conducted by his campaign earlier this week showed Grossman at 9 percent compared to 28 percent for O'Brien, 20 percent for Reich, 8 percent for Birmingham and 5 percent for Tolman.

A Boston Herald poll conducted last month also showed Grossman with just 6 percent support.

Before the Democratic convention in June, Grossman said he was undaunted by poor poll numbers.

"I was the first one to announce and I'm planning to be the last one standing," Grossman said then.

Democrats are hoping to take back the governor's office, which has been occupied by Republicans for the past dozen years. To do that, they'll have to defeat Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Grossman, 56, president of his family owned printing company MassEnvelopePlus, tried to carve out a centrist niche and appeal to voters as a job-creator despite never holding elective office.

He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the presidential campaign of former President Clinton, but downplayed his role as chairman of the state Democratic Party from 1991 to 1992 and DNC chairman from 1997 to 1999.

Grossman's family has been active in the Democratic Party for generations. His grandfather, Max, a Russian immigrant, supported John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald, the father of Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, 90 years ago.