Ryan leaves door open to presidential run

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) indicated in an interview published Thursday that he is open to a presidential run, saying he does not see himself as a House “lifer.”

Ryan said he will make his decision next year. “I’m not in a rush,” he told The Washington Post. “My way is to do the job at hand, do it well, and not worry about strategizing how I can do better than this guy or that guy in New Hampshire. I’m not in a place where I have to scratch and claw to get my name out there. Why do I need to blow money on that? I’ll line it all up next year and do my long list of pros and cons, this and that.”

He is a conservative star, known for his budget proposal, and was the vice presidential nominee in 2012. But the presidential speculation has been less fierce around him, as he has not made frequent trips to early nominating states as other contenders have. 

But that’s not an indication he is not running, necessarily. “I don’t feel the need to be out there, putting my toe in the water,” he said about his absence from those states. “I don’t see the point in it. It’s not fun and I don’t think I need to. I already know a lot of people in these key states well. They call me up, so I don’t feel the need to have to chum.”

Asked if Mitt Romney, who chose him to be the vice presidential nominee in 2012, has encouraged him to run, Ryan said, “Yes.”

And he said his family is supportive of a run. “My kids loved it when I was with Mitt,” Ryan said. “They enjoyed it and thought it was great. My family, of all families, understands what it takes and has a good sense of what it’s like.”

Ryan is expected to become chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee next year, which is sometimes cited as a reason he might not run for president. Asked about running for president while chairman, though, Ryan said, “I ran for vice president as Budget Committee chairman and [Sen.] John McCain [R-Ariz.] was a committee chairman when he ran first for president.”

In addition to saying he is not a House “lifer,” Ryan flatly answered “No” when asked about a state-wide run, saying he liked the House more than the Senate. That leaves the presidency, or vice presidency, as likely future options.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) is also seen as a potential contender, if he can get through his tough reelection race this year. But Ryan said he has not made any deals with Walker to have only one of them run.

“We’re good friends, but we have never once discussed it,” he said.