Paul Ryan: No Presidential Bid For 2016

Paul Ryan will not make a presidential bid for 2016, the Wisconsin Representative announced on Monday.

Ryan formerly ran as Mitt Romney’s vice president in 2012 for the GOP ticket. Since the pair lost to President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, Ryan has been considered a top contender for a presidential run in 2016.

The nine-term congressman put all the talk to rest with this statement: “After giving it a lot of thought, I’ve decided not to run for president. Our work at the House Ways and Means Committee over the next few years will be crucial to moving America forward, and my job as Chairman deserves undivided attention.”

Because Paul Ryan has no presidential bid in the future, he hopes he’ll show how devoted he is to being chairman to his committee.

Ryan told NBC News he made the decision well before Friday’s news that Romney was considering another presidential run.

In reference to Romney, Ryan said, “It is no secret that I always thought Mitt would make a great president. As for his plans for 2016, I don’t know what he is ultimately going to do and the last thing I want to do is get ahead of his own decision making process.”

Though Ryan hasn’t publicly endorsed any potential presidential candidates, he does believe Republicans have a very good chance of winning the 2016 election.

“It’s clear our country needs a change in direction. And our party has a responsibility to offer a real alternative. So I’m going to do what I can to lay out conservative solutions and to help our nominee lead us to victory,” Ryan said.

At 44, Ryan isn’t ruling out running for a higher office in the future.

Even though Paul Ryan won’t make a presidential bid for 2016, he thanked everyone who encouraged him to run. “Their words and continued support have been deeply humbling. And most of all I want to thank the people of Wisconsin for giving me the opportunity to serve our country.”

[Photo Credit: Mark Nassal]

Paul Ryan: No Presidential Bid For 2016