Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said he will consider running for president in 2012.

Perry had previously taken himself out of contention for the Republican nomination but he has been walking back on that in recent days.

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His comments on Friday were the strongest to date.

“I’m going to think about it” when the Texas legislature adjourns on Monday, Perry said, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

But later Friday a Perry spokesman said Perry was in fact not running and has no intention of running.

"It's only natural that he would think about it," Miner said. "He thinks about a lot of issues. It doesn't change the fact that he has no intention of running."

Most consider the GOP primary field to be set, but several Republicans have expressed unhappiness with their choices, prompting speculation a dark-horse candidate could enter the race.

Perry's name has been one that's come up, which he seemed to acknowledge in an interview Thursday.

"Oh, I can't say I'm not tempted, but the fact is: this is something I don't want to do," he said in an interview with Fox News' Greta Van Susteren.

This post was updated at 7:30 p.m.