Republican Mitt Romney has decided against making yet another run for the White House in 2016, telling supporters on Friday that he would much rather let other leaders in the party explore the opportunity.“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, read out during a conference.
With that statement, the 67-year-old Romney has finally cleared the air after flirting with the idea of making a third presidential bid in recent weeks.The Romney push that had begun earlier this month had added to the confusion in the Republican ranks with well over a dozen hopefuls having already begun to make a pitch. That list of aspirants includes Jeb Bush, brother of former President George W Bush and someone who is being regarded as an early front-runner for the Republican ticket.
Speaking of his confidence that he could win the Republican nomination if he were to make a renewed bid, Romney said: “One poll out just today shows me gaining support and leading the next closest contender by nearly two to one.”Even while claiming that he would have the best chance of defeating the eventual Democrat candidate, Romney said: “I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders... may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee.”