Sources: Al Gore not exploring 2016 presidential bid

Former Vice President Al Gore is not exploring another run for president, said a Gore spokeswoman and two sources close to Gore.

A report published Thursday by BuzzFeed said supporters of the 67-year-old Democrat and Tennessee native "have begun a round of conversations among themselves and with the former vice president about his running for president in 2016."

That's not true, said the spokeswoman and others close to Gore.

"That would be news to me, so I think somebody's off base," said a friend to Gore. "I've heard nothing along these lines, and I'd be very surprised."

Another person close to Gore said late Thursday the reports are incorrect.

"I'm certain that Al Gore is not doing anything to fan this. And no one that I'm aware of is doing any planning or organizing whatsoever to do anything like this," said another source close to Gore.

The sources requested anonymity to speak candidly about Gore, who represented Tennessee in both the U.S. House and Senate before serving as vice president to President Bill Clinton.

Gore lost the 2000 presidential election to President George W. Bush. He's focused on campaigning against global warming since the election, serving as chairman of The Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit devoted to solving the climate crisis, according to his website.

His name recently came up in the Nashville mayoral election: Gore, who has a home in Nashville, sent out a fundraising letter for candidate Charles Robert Bone. Bone's father, Charles W. Bone, was a longtime aide to Gore during his political career.

Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.