“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,” he said in a phone call to supporters.
These other candidates likely include former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
Romney informed staff on Friday morning about his decision.
Just three weeks ago, Romney had told a small group of donors that he was seriously considering a third run for the White House. He had also been working to solidify his old team of supporters and staff, but these plans have seemingly been abandoned.
“I’ve been asked, and will certainly be asked again if there are any circumstances whatsoever that might develop that could change my mind,” the statement reads. “That seems unlikely. Accordingly, I’m not organizing a PAC or taking donations; I’m not hiring a campaign team.”
“I believe a Republican winning back the White House is essential for our country, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen.”
If he had chosen to run, Romney would have been seen as a chief competitor to Jeb Bush, though many in the Republican party had doubts as to whether he could overcome the problems he faced in the 2012 election, which he lost by a fairly wide margin of electoral votes.
This would have been Romney’s third attempt at gaining the White House.
Many saw Romney’s personality as too artificial for the voters to relate with, and even former supporters expressed doubts that he could become more likeable this time around.
During the 2012 election, even President Obama mocked Romney for being out of touch because of his wealth. But in recent weeks, Romney has made several remarks regarding issues of poverty that the country still faces.
The president referenced Romney being “suddenly deeply concerned about poverty,” while addressing House Democrats on Thursday night. “That’s great,” Obama said. “Let’s do something about it.”
Romney tweeted a response;
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 30, 2015
“Mr. Obama, wonder why my concern about poverty? The record number of poor in your term, and your record of failure to remedy,” it said.
Yet Romney faced strong criticism in 2012 over his view of the poor. The former governer was filmed speaking to a group of fundraisers, saying that he wasn’t concerned with the bottom 47% of the population.
“These are people who pay no income tax…[my] job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
Romney also alienated female voters during a debate when he claimed to have “binders full of women” in regards to a question about equal pay in the work place.
