Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday ruled out a 2020 bid for Senate in Kansas after previously saying it was possible.
“It’s off the table. As a practical matter, I’m going to serve as secretary of State every day that I get the chance to do so,” Pompeo told The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.
{mosads}Asked whether he would be interested in running for president at some point, Pompeo said, “I have never been able to predict what my next gig will be, and I suspect that is the case with respect to this.”
During an interview with a Kansas radio station earlier this month, Pompeo refused to rule out a Senate campaign, saying he was “spending time” on the possibility of a run and discussing it with his wife.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had previously indicated to reporters that Pompeo would be his top choice to run for the seat currently held by Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), who is retiring.
Kris Kobach, another Republican and a former Kansas secretary of state, announced on July 8 that he would run for the Senate seat. The staunch defender of President Trump lost establishment favor after losing a race for governor in Kansas to a Democrat last fall.