Romney elects not to run in '16

Time to let others in GOP get shot at top job, he tells supporters

Mitt Romney told supporters Friday that he would not run for president in 2016.
Mitt Romney told supporters Friday that he would not run for president in 2016.

Mitt Romney told supporters Friday that he would not run for president in 2016, ending three weeks of public speculation and sparing the Republican Party a potentially bruising nominating battle between its past nominee and its rising stars.

"After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I've decided it is best to give other leaders in the party the opportunity to become our next nominee," Romney said in a statement he read to supporters on a conference call Friday morning.

Romney insisted that he would have had enough support from potential donors to be "more than competitive" and that the positive reaction he heard from Republican activists was "surprising and heartening." He noted that he led the GOP field in recent public polls.

"I am convinced that we could win the nomination, but fully realize it would have been a difficult test and a hard fight," Romney said in remarks he delivered by phone from New York with his wife, Ann, by his side.

"You can't imagine how hard it is for Ann and me to step aside, especially knowing of your support and the support of so many people across the country," he added. "But we believe it is for the best of the party and the nation."

Romney spoke for four minutes, encouraging his allies to "stay engaged" in the 2016 campaign and to "feel free" to sign up with any of the other potential candidates.

Romney had been publicly weighing a third run at the White House for three weeks after telling a group of former campaign donors in New York on January 9 that he still wanted to be president.

His dalliance invited a barrage of critical reaction from many Republican leaders, conservative commentators and major donors.

The influential Wall Street Journal editorial page was particularly harsh, describing Romney's political profile as "protean," his political team as "mediocre" and his managerial skills as questionable on the basis of his 2012 loss to President Barack Obama.

Romney's advisers discounted the effect those criticisms would have on the former Massachusetts governor's ultimate decision. Instead, they said earlier, Romney was spending his time as he always had under such circumstances: gathering data, speaking to as many people as possible and then weighing the evidence before making any final decision.

Romney's decision to forgo a third run came after a lengthy meeting of Romney's inner circle in Boston last Friday, during which they evaluated feedback from former campaign donors and activists in key early voting states.

The assessment included reports from Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, where Romney would have lost some key precinct leaders, although still had considerable support.

Romney's announcement comes as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has taken aggressive steps toward a campaign, traveling around the country meeting with donors and other party figures, many of them loyal to Romney in 2012.

Bush has set up a leadership PAC and a super PAC, both with the name "Right to Rise," and has been test-driving a campaign message centered squarely on middle-class opportunity.

Bush wrote in a Facebook post on Friday that Romney "has been a leader in our party for many years" and that "there are few people who have worked harder to elect Republicans across the country than he has."

"Though I'm sure today's decision was not easy, I know that Mitt Romney will never stop advocating for renewing America's promise through upward mobility, encouraging free enterprise and strengthening our national defense," Bush added. "Mitt is a patriot and I join many in hoping his days of serving our nation and our party are not over."

Another potential candidate, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said of Romney, "He certainly earned the right to consider running, so I deeply respect his decision to give the next generation a chance to lead. I wish him, Ann and his entire family the best and hope he will continue to serve our country and his community as he's done throughout his life."

Romney was scheduled to have dinner Friday night with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who also is eyeing a 2016 run, a get-together that was planned before Romney's announcement.

While the two men are friends, longtime supporters said they do not expect Romney to throw his weight behind Christie or any other candidate in the immediate future.

Also Friday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker offered a preview of his likely White House message between private interviews with those looking to help his expected presidential campaign.

During a speech Friday, he criticized Washington as a city of power-hungry elites, saying: "As much as I like coming here, I love going home even more."

Sounding familiar campaign themes of smaller government, greater accountability and general distaste for the nation's capital, Walker looked to use his visit to build interest in his potential campaign.

It was his only speaking engagement in a day packed with private meetings and job interviews related to a possible 2016 bid. Earlier this week, Walker announced the formation a nonprofit group, Our American Revival, designed to raise unlimited amounts of money to boost his political ambitions.

Information for this article was contributed by Philip Rucker, Dan Balz, Matea Gold and Tom Hamburger of The Washington Post and by Steve Peoples and Philip Elliott of The Associated Press.

A Section on 01/31/2015

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