Ketchup Queen Kerry won't rule out 2016 bid

2/9/2015

Secretary of State John Kerry said in an interview broadcast on Sunday that he has not ruled out launching a presidential bid in 2016, maintaining he's been too busy to give the prospect any thought.

Asked by "Meet the Press" host Chuck Todd if he'd consider another run, the 2004 Democratic nominee said he can think of "no scenario whatsoever" where he would launch another bid.

"I haven't thought about it and I'm, as you can tell, pretty busy," he said, chuckling, during a trip to Germany this weekend meeting foreign leaders at the Munich Security Conference.

Pressed if he'd rule out the possibility, Kerry replied, "Well, nobody ever says never."

Kerry is rarely, if ever, mentioned as a potential 2016 contender, and is usually left off polls of potential Democratic candidates.

He's faced a loaded agenda during President Obama's final two years in office, including ironing out agreement on Iran's nuclear program, normalizing ties with Cuba, pushing back against an aggressive Russia and the threat of Islamic extremists in the Middle East, among other issues.

His predecessor at State, presumed frontrunner Hillary Clinton, holds a large lead in national polls, followed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Vice President Joe Biden.

In a February, 2014 interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Kerry appeared to rule out another White House bid.

“I’m out of politics. I have no plans whatsoever, this is my last stop,” he said.

source