Representative Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) may have been on a presidential ticket in 2012, but don’t expect to see him at the top of one in 2016, according to a new report.
“I have decided that I am not going to run for president in 2016,” Ryan told NBC News, a decision he made “weeks ago.” “It is amazing the amount of encouragement I have gotten from people — from friends and supporters — but I feel like I am in a position to make a big difference where I am and I want to do that,”
He described himself as “at peace” with his decision not to jump in to the already crowded Republican field.
Ryan’s announcement comes as Mitt Romney, whose presidential ticket he joined in 2012, is reportedly exploring another run in 2016. The Washington Post reports that Romney has already reached out to Ryan about Romney’s interest in making a third run at the White House.
But while 2016 may not be in the cards for Ryan, he did not close the door on a run farther down the road, telling NBC he wants to “keep my options open.”