Rick Snyder not running for president Michigan’s governor is passing on the 2016 race.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will not run for president in 2016, according to two sources familiar with his planning.

Snyder, a Republican who was first elected in 2010, has been traveling across the country in recent weeks but has decided against a White House bid. One source close to Snyder said he’d expressed concern about the time commitment needed for a national campaign.


“He is concerned about solving the problems in Michigan and the time commitment needed for out-of-state travel,” one source said.

A Snyder spokesman declined to comment.

The decision came one day after a Snyder-backed ballot initiative went down to defeat by an overwhelming margin on Tuesday. The initiative would have raised sales taxes to pay for roads funding.

Snyder, 56, was present at the Republican Jewish Coalition meeting in Las Vegas last month and also a conference in Los Angeles sponsored by the Milken Institute — appearances that stoked speculation he was considering running for president. At both events, he highlighted his efforts to boost Michigan’s economy.

He’d also been huddling with several top political advisers, including media consultant Fred Davis and former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak, to discuss a possible presidential bid. Last month, Snyder set up a nonprofit group, Making Government Accountable, that allowed Snyder to raise funds for his national political travel.

Running for president would have been an uphill endeavor for the Michigan governor, who has a lower national profile than many other 2016 contenders. Snyder also would have been competing for financial support with two other Republican governors from the Midwest, Scott Walker of Wisconsin and John Kasich of Ohio.