GRAND JUNCTION, Colo (KKCO) - State Senator Josh Penry officially announced Tuesday he is dropping out of the race for governor, and is speaking out for the first time about why he made that decision.

Nearly four months to the day that Josh Penry first announced his run for governor, he officially brought it to an end.

"I am a competitor, I don't walk away lightly," says Penry. "I have a vision, a clear direction where I wanted to take the state. At the same time, there's certain realities that surround a campaign."

The 33-year-old Grand Junction native was behind fellow Republican candidate Scott McInnis by several points in the polls and hundreds of thousands of dollars in funds.

"We could spend a lot of time over the next months and millions of dollars chasing him or we could back off and fight another day," says Penry.

Penry says he was also inspired by GOP gains in Virginia and New Jersey during the 2009 elections, and wants to redirect his attention to helping the party regain control of the State Legislature.

Mesa County Republican Chair Chuck Pabst says Penry's early exit has caught a lot of people off guard.

"I think everyone has been surprised," says Pabst.

Dozens have taken to Penry's facebook page to express their disappointment and to give him their support. But Pabst says ultimately, the party feels he made a good decision.

"He decided that party unity and strategy is best left to him dropping out of the race right now," says Pabst. "This unity, it just spells disaster for the Democrats, so I'm quite excited by it."

But total unity may still not be there. Penry says he has had multiple conversations with McInnis, and he's not yet ready to give him his endorsement.

"I want to know how he's going to lead, how he's going to govern," says Penry. "I know Scott, I like him, I know he's up to the job intellectually and personally -- but that's not enough. I think the voters in this state are hungry for somebody who is going to solve problems and make tough choices. So before we make any decisions on endorsing, I want to know how he's going to govern."

Penry has not yet said if he intends to run for his Senate seat or any other elected position. Mesa County Republican officials say his decisions on the matter could create an "interesting" shakeup within the party, with his friend Steve King already running for his Senate seat. But ultimately, they believe things would sort themselves out without any problems.