Romney would not name a specific candidate whom he might support. | M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO Romney: 'I'm not running'

Mitt Romney says he is not running for president.

“I’ve had my turn. I gave it two good shots. Didn’t win and now it’s time for someone else to do it,” he told Wolf Blitzer on CNN’s “Situation Room” on Wednesday. “I’m not running for president.”


“It’s better than a kick in the teeth,” he said of campaigning. “At the same, I’m absolutely convinced that there are other people who would have a better chance of becoming the nominee and becoming the next president of the United States better than I would have.”

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Blitzer noted that recent polls have found Americans favor Romney as the Republican candidate. Last week, a survey of New Hampshire voters placed him in the lead with 25 percent of the vote, leading Rand Paul with 18 percent and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie with 17 percent.

A November 2013 Washington Post/ABC News poll of registered voters found that in a rematch of the 2012 presidential election, Romney would have beaten President Barack Obama with 49 percent of the vote, compared to Obama’s 45 percent.

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Romney said these results would not prompt him to reconsider.

He would not name a specific candidate whom he might support. He listed his former running mate Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie — who, Romney said, he believes is telling the truth about the Bridgegate scandal — as potential candidates.

“In terms of who’s the best person to be our nominee, I’m going to wait to make that decision a little later,” Romney said.

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