Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu says he doesn’t intend to run for president in 2020, despite ongoing speculation.
“I want a little time to think and get some perspective on life and just see where the future takes me, but it’s not my intention right now to do that,” Landrieu told Hill.TV correspondent Jamal Simmons.
Landrieu explained that he’s still trying to make up his mind after recently taking a break from public service.
“I just came off of a fairly intense tour of public service for the past 30 years and that’s a very hard thing to jump into right away,” Landrieu said. “The presidential race is creeping up very quickly – a lot more quickly than everyone in the country wants it to.”
Landrieu has served two terms as the lieutenant governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018. This is the first time in 30 years that Landrieu hasn’t held public office.
The former Democratic mayor comes from a family of public servants. His father, Moon Landrieu, served as the mayor of New Orleans and secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He is also the brother of former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D).
But Landrieu has repeatedly hinted that his political career is not over yet. He is currently on a national tour promoting his new book, “In the Shadow of Statues.”
The book seeks to inform readers about Confederate monuments, which have come under a renewed focus in recent years following the violence in Charlottesville.
— Tess Bonn
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