Some four months after announcing his 2016 White House bid, still little-known former Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee ended his presidential campaign on Friday, admitting that Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton had benefited from her forceful appearance at the Benghazi committee hearings, as well as Vice President Joe Biden's decision not to join the race.

"Obviously it was a good week for Secretary Clinton," Chafee noted after his announcement at a Washington hotel, according to CNN. "She did well in the debates and then Senator Webb got out, Vice President Biden declined to join the race, she did well in the Benghazi hearing and Gov. Chafee got out of the race."

Chafee, whose record Politico described as a "Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat," never managed to gain any traction in the race for the Democratic nomination. He raised the minuscule sum of $15,000 over the last three months, rarely exceeded 1 percent in polls and did not score any endorsements from elected officials in Washington, D.C. or even Providence, as current Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo backed Clinton.

"As you know I have been campaigning on a platform of Prosperity Through Peace," he said on Friday. "But after much thought I have decided to end my campaign for president today. Thank you. I would like to take this opportunity one last time to advocate for a chance be given to peace."

With Chafee's exit, the Democratic field is down to three candidates -- Clinton, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders; and former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. His decision followed that of former Virginia Sen. Jim Webb, who dropped out of the contest earlier this week, though he left open the possibility of an independent bid.

Meanwhile, Chafee's campaign may be best remembered not for his "Prosperity Through Peace" platform but for the former governor's ardent support for the metric system, a position for which he was widely mocked.