Kerry: ‘No plans to run for public office again’

Secretary of State John Kerry says his role as the nation’s top diplomat will likely be his last stint in public office.

In an interview that aired Friday on NBC’s “Today,” Kerry was asked if Foggy Bottom will be his final tour of duty.

{mosads}“I have no plans to run for public office again,” Kerry replied, adding, “I never say never to anything. But, no, I’m not planning. I’m not running. This is my last public position, I think. And I’m going to try and get the job done as well as I can.”

President Obama nominated Kerry to be his second secretary of State, succeeding Hillary Clinton, in late 2012. Kerry took over the following February.

Kerry, 70, first entered public office in 1983 when he served as the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts. He went on to serve in the U.S. Senate for 28 years before he left for the State Department. 

As the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, Kerry was defeated by President George W. Bush.