Dan Bloom, a former Eudora schools superintendent, ended his run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination Friday night and threw his support to Wichita Mayor Bob Knight.

The announcement came as the candidates were making closing statements during a forum televised live by Wichita’s public TV station, KPTS.

“This race isn’t about Dan Bloom,” Bloom said in an interview after the Friday night forum. “It’s about getting the kind of people in there who are good for Kansas. And let’s face it, Bob Knight has the longest and most distinguished track record of anyone you could come up with.”

Bloom said he thought Knight stood alone as the candidate who was “not part of the old machine, will support education and will get things on a progressive way in the state.”

He expressed hope that “our little bit of help will push him over the top.”

That little bit could be a shot in the arm for Knight.

In The World Company Poll released this week, Knight held a slim lead over State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger for the GOP nod.

In the statewide sampling, 32 percent of likely Republican voters supported Knight, 27 percent supported Shallenburger, 18 percent supported Senate President Dave Kerr, and 3 percent supported Bloom.

Bloom’s announcement comes on the heels of Tuesday’s GOP primary election.