WASHINGTON (AP) — A major name in presidential polling is backing away from the horse race.

Gallup said Wednesday it will stop testing who's up and who's down in the 2016 presidential primary election. The organization will instead focus on the issues over the 13 months.

The development comes as national polls play a growing role in the presidential politics. Debate participation has been determined solely by national polls, despite questions raised about using imperfect surveys to distinguish candidates often separated by one or two points.

Gallup's editor-in-chief Frank Newport says such concerns were not a factor in Gallup's decision. The organization says its resources are better spent elsewhere.

Newport says Gallup will focus heavily on testing Americans' opinions on the issues and candidate favorability.