Cuccinelli rules out gubernatorial run in Va.

Former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli ruled out a gubernatorial run on Saturday, according to The Washington Post.

{mosads}The Cruz campaign surrogate had been rumored to be considering a run for governor in 2017 to try to succeed Democrat Terry McAuliffe.

“I made my choice here, and it was to go all in on the Cruz campaign,” he told the Post. “There’s only so much that makes sense on an individual and family basis … It’s better for our family not to do both.”

His decision helps make room for former White House counsel Ed Gillespie, who praised Cuccinelli on Saturday.

“Ken and Teiro are friends to Cathy and me,” Gillespie, a former lobbyist and current communications strategist, said. “I respect him, whether he were to run or not run was never going to change that, and I’m glad to call him a friend. I appreciate all he’s doing at the national level in the presidential campaign. I know how much work that is.”

Cuccinelli reiterated that he wants to focus on the presidential campaign for the time being.

“I’m clearing the field period,” he said. “I’m not going to step into it, I’m going to step out of it. There’s nobody running that I don’t like, and I do think ’17 is going to be a good year for Republicans, but we need to get through 2016 first.”

–This report was updated on May 1 at 11:55 a.m.