Mitt Romney: ‘I’d Like To Continue To Have Influence In My Party And My Country’

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he does not plan to run again, even though there has been talk of him being drafted into the race for the 2016 elections. According to a report from Desert News, Romney made the announcement at the annual retreat he holds for his contributors, which included some presidential hopefuls.

“I think people make a lot of compliments to make us all feel good, and it’s very nice and heartening to have people say such generous things, but I’m not running and they know it,” Romney said.

However, some supporters are already coming together to create an effort to get Mitt Romney to make another bid for the White House. But Romney believes his position now is to move the GOP and the nominees “toward positions I think are most effective for the country.”

Mitt Romney realizes he is not the only voice looking to reshape the Republican Party, and he is also not “the most effective” after losing the presidential campaign to Barack Obama in 2012.

“You want to have influence,” Romney added. “I’d like to continue to have influence in my party and my country. But I recognize that’s of a limited nature.”

At the retreat were several potential candidates with “different viewpoints on a whole series of issues,” as Mitt Romney described them. Some of them included New Jersey Governor Chris Christie; former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee; Ohio Senator Rob Portman; Kentucky Senator Rand Paul; Romney’s 2012 running partner, Wisconsin Senator Paul Ryan; and Democrat and former Montana governor Brian Schweitzer.

At this point, though, Mitt Romney said he is not sure whom he will support in 2016.

“I don’t have a choice,” Romney said. “I’m not pulling in anyone’s direction. I’ve invited a broad array here in part to let people hear these different voices and draw their own conclusions.”

While he doesn’t have plans to run again, Mitt Romney did offer some advice to the hopefuls.

“I certainly hope our party will continue to be the party that stands for freedom, for strength, for equal opportunity, for prosperity for anyone who’s willing to work for it,” Romney said.

The Associated Press reports that, so far this year, Mitt Romney has endorsed 29 candidates that are running for Congress or statewide office. Twelve Republicans that Romney endorsed have already had primary elections, and all have won the nomination to run in the general election. Those who won include Iowa’s Joni Ernst and Oregon’s Monica Wehby.

Mitt Romney’s former aide, Ryan Williams, said the Republican Party has lost over the years due to “nominating poor candidates.” But he believes that Romney has changed that.

“Governor Romney has stepped up and helped good, electable conservatives win,” Williams added.

A leader for Mitt Romney’s record-breaking 2012 campaign fundraiser, Spencer Zwick, believes people’s thoughts about the former presidential candidate have changed.

“I don’t think he’s ever been more popular than he is today,” Zwick said.

[Image via Celebrity Net Worth]