• Home
  • Login
  • Register
  • Digital Edition
  • About Us
  • Staff
  • Obituaries
South Florida Times
  • News
    • Around South Florida
    • Black News
    • Local News
    • National & World
    • Caribbean News
    • Opinion
    • Prayerful Living
    • Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murdering George Floyd

      Staff Report, April 20, 2021
    • Florida Senate committee advances ‘anti-riot’ measure

      Associated Press, April 19, 2021
    • DeSantis attacks YouTube for yanking his pandemic video

      Associated Press, April 19, 2021
  • Business
    • Amazon opens four new delivery stations to serve South Florida

      S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
    • Alternative bidders emerge for newspaper chain Tribune

      Associated Press, April 2, 2021
    • VW plans brand-name change to ‘Voltswagen’ in US

      Associated Press, April 2, 2021
  • Finance
    • Insurance
    • Credit
    • Loans
    • Trading
    • Mortgage
    • Donate
    • Biden /Harris Victory

      Robert Beatty, November 7, 2020
    • Helpful Tips for Businesses that would like to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), if additional funds are approved.

      S. Florida Times, May 1, 2020
    • Florida Reemployment (Unemployment) Assistance Application

      S. Florida Times, April 12, 2020
  • Politics
    • State
    • Local
    • National
    • International
    • Elections
    • Debate Night in America: Muted Mics Could Interrupt Trump’s Style

      zenger.news, October 22, 2020
    • Trump or Biden: Venezuelans in U.S. Debate Impact of Presidential Election

      zenger.news, October 21, 2020
    • Fugitive Drug Dealer Captured Despite Plastic Surgery, New Identity

      zenger.news, October 20, 2020
  • Technology
    • Software Review
    • Hosting
    • Gas/Electricity
    • Small Business
    • VOIP Solutions
    • BROWARD App gives graduates virtual reality diploma

      S. Florida Times, June 20, 2020
    • How messaging technology is helping fuel global protests

      Associated Press, June 11, 2020
    • Hackers’ new target: Video conferencing with Zoom

      Associated Press, April 12, 2020
  • Education
    • Classes
    • College
    • Degree
    • FIU
    • HBCU
    • High school
    • Online classes
    • Miami-dade
    • BROWARD From Pembroke Pines to FAMU Law College grads

      Roger Caldwell, June 11, 2020
    • Students helped by helping teachers

      Roger Caldwell, June 7, 2020
    • FAMU names Keller as new college of law dean

      S. Florida Times, April 12, 2020
  • SoFLO Live
    • Chef Ire
    • Calendar
    • Entertainment
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Books
    • Music
    • Movies
    • SUSTAINABLE, VERSATILE, GLOBAL, DELICIOUS: Honey’s got buzz

      Associated Press, March 1, 2020
    • 5-YEAR-OLD DRUMMER garners attention, college scholarships

      Associated Press, March 1, 2020
    • JAZZ IN THE GARDENS 15TH:

      S. Florida Times, March 1, 2020
  • Health
    • Health
    • Kids Nutrition
    • Health Jobs
    • Insurance
    • Weight Loss
    • Pet Health
    • The varied world of olive oil

      Associated Press, April 19, 2021
    • 5 self-preservation tips for watching the Chauvin trial

      S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
    • How you can support your Muslim friends, relatives in this Ramadan season

      S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
  • Special Sections
    • Hurricane Guide
    • Summer Camp Guide
    • Back To School
    • Black History
    • Business & Finance
    • Martin Luther King Jr.
    • Mother’s Day
    • Season of the Arts
    • JOURNEY INTO JOURNALISM a black woman books it

      Associated Press, March 13, 2020
    • Right to Vote focus of Spoken Soul Festival

      Staff Report, March 13, 2020
    • Stokely: A woman’s day is every day

      CB HANIF, March 13, 2020
  • Blogs
    • Beatnik24

Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murdering George Floyd

Staff Report, April 20, 2021

The varied world of olive oil

Associated Press, April 19, 2021

5 self-preservation tips for watching the Chauvin trial

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021

How you can support your Muslim friends, relatives in this Ramadan season

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021

Florida Senate committee advances ‘anti-riot’ measure

Associated Press, April 19, 2021

DeSantis attacks YouTube for yanking his pandemic video

Associated Press, April 19, 2021

Amazon opens four new delivery stations to serve South Florida

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021

Florida Memorial University providing covid vaccinations

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
Elections

Former GOP nominee Romney will not run for president in ’16


SHARE ON:
Associated Press— January 30, 2015
By STEVE PEOPLES

WASHINGTON — After a three-week flirtation with a new campaign for the White House, Mitt Romney announced Friday that he will not seek the presidency in 2016.

“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 told supporters on a conference call.

The exit of Romney, who was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, comes after several of his former major donors and a veteran staffer in the early voting state of Iowa defected to support former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie would have served as Romney’s most likely rivals for the support of the Republican Party’s establishment-minded voters.

In his call with supporters, Romney appeared to take a swipe at Bush, saying it was time for fresh leadership within the GOP.

“I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well-known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee,” Romney said. “In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.”

The former governor of Massachusetts, who is 67, had jumped back into the presidential discussion on Jan. 10, when he surprised a small group of former donors at a meeting in New York by telling them he was eyeing a third run for the White House.

It was a monumental change for Romney, who since losing the 2012 election to President Barack Obama had repeatedly told all who asked that his career in politics was over and he would not again run for president.

On Friday, Romney said he had been asked if there were any circumstance under which he would again reconsider. That, he said, “seems unlikely.”

“Accordingly, I’m not organizing a PAC or taking donations,” he said. “I’m not hiring a campaign team.”

The exit of Romney from the campaign most immediately helps those viewed as part of the party’s establishment wing, including Bush, Christie, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

The more conservative side of the field is largely unchanged, with a group of candidates that will likely include Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

Romney was to have dinner Friday night with Christie, who was among his staunchest backers during the 2012 race, according to someone familiar with what was described as a long-planned meeting.

Potential candidates were quick to claim interest or support from former Romney loyalists — both political operatives and donors.

Bobbie Kilberg, a top GOP fundraiser based in Virginia, was among the first.

“We had a long and deep ties and friendship with Mitt,” she said, declaring her new allegiance to Christie. “That has changed obviously, at 11 o’clock this morning.”

Rubio, another former Romney ally, took to Twitter minutes after Romney’s announcement to promote his own political action committee.

“He certainly earned the right to consider running,” Rubio said in a statement, “so I deeply respect his decision to give the next generation a chance to lead.”

Bush, meanwhile, called Romney “a patriot.”

“I join many in hoping his days of serving our nation and our party are not over,” Bush said in a Facebook post.

In the three weeks since the meeting in New York, which caught several in attendance off-guard, Romney made calls to former fundraisers, staff members and supporters, and gave three public speeches in which he outlined his potential vision for another campaign.

But as Romney sounded out his former team about putting together a new national campaign, he discovered that several former fundraisers had already made plans for 2016 and were now committed to Bush.

Aides gathered in Boston last week offered Romney a blunt assessment of his chances, suggesting there was a path to victory, while highlighting signs of eroding support in early states such as New Hampshire.

Several key former Romney donors told The Associated Press this week that in Bush they see someone who can successfully serve as president, as they believe Romney could. But they also think Bush has the personality and senior staff needed to win the White House, something the former Massachusetts governor could not bring together in his two previous presidential campaigns.

Romney also lost one of his most trusted political advisers on Thursday when David Kochel joined Bush’s team. Kochel, who led Romney’s campaign in Iowa in 2008 and 2012, is in now line to play a senior role in Bush’s campaign should he run.

Loyal Romney supporter Bill Kunkler, part of Chicago’s wealthy Crown family, said Friday he was disappointed by the decision, but was now all-in for Bush and planned to attend a Feb. 18 fundraiser for him in Chicago hosted by former Romney backers.

“I’ll work for Jeb. Period. And no one else,” Kunkler said. “I’ve spent enough time with everyone else, and I look at people’s ability to get the job done. And there just isn’t anyone else.”

Romney’s decision against running clearly pained him, and he took no questions from supporters on Friday’s call.

“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,” Romney said. “But we believe it is for the best of the party and the nation.”

 

Next post Peyton Manning still considering his future with Broncos

Previous post Education destroys the grip of homelessness

Associated Press

About the Author Associated Press

Related Posts

Fired Riviera Beach manager haunts city election results

Daphne L. Taylor, March 22, 2018

Andrew Gillum runs for Governor

Daphne L. Taylor, March 1, 2018

RUN OPRAH RUN

Associated Press, January 11, 2018

No Comment

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

"Elevating the dialogue"Headline News

South Florida Times

Derek Chauvin Convicted of Murdering George Floyd

Staff Report, April 20, 2021
News

Florida Senate committee advances ‘anti-riot’ measure

Associated Press, April 19, 2021
News

DeSantis attacks YouTube for yanking his pandemic video

Associated Press, April 19, 2021
News

Georgia abandoned to produce new movie

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
National & World

Black Army officer pepper sprayed

S. Florida Times, April 19, 2021
National & World

South Florida Times

The most influential African American weekly newspaper in South Florida

Beatty Media LLC

Follow Us

South Florida Times

3,042
followers
4,052
likes

Videos

South Florida Times

Miami Beach Police Department makes History

Staff Report, September 11, 2014
Local NewsNewsVideos
Copyright 2020 Beatty Media, LLC.
↑ Back to top