Al Gore says he isn’t ready to endorse anyone in the 2016 Democratic presidential race, including front-runner Hillary Clinton.
“It’s still too early, in my opinion, to endorse a candidate or pick a candidate,” Gore, who served as Bill Clinton’s vice president, told People magazine in an interview published Tuesday.
{mosads}”Everybody can look at how the presidential campaign is developing and get some pretty clear ideas about how they think it’s going to turn out, but I still think it’s premature,” Gore added, noting the general election is still a year away.
“I think I’ll wait to wade into it.”
In June, Gore also said that he wasn’t ready to endorse a candidate.
Three Democrats are in the 2016 race with three months before the Iowa caucuses: Clinton, her chief rival Bernie Sanders, and Martin O’Malley. Vice President Biden declined to run last month.
Since losing the 2000 election to George W. Bush, Gore has focused on environmental issues, in particular drawing attention to climate change.
Reports in August said Gore insiders were chatting about him launching a potential 2016 bid.
Gore laughed off those reports in the interview with People.
“I have taken no steps whatsoever in the direction of a candidacy, and my answer has been the same [for years],” he said.
“I’m a recovering politician, and the longer I go without a relapse, the less likely one becomes.”