Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter confirmed his interest in a gubernatorial bid Tuesday, saying he would decide by January whether or not to enter the race in 2015.
The Associated Press first reported the news.
Vitter will reportedly announce he’s exploring a bid to potentially succeed current Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal via email on Wednesday.
“This is the logical time to do it, if I’m ever going to do it,” Vitter told the AP.
Jindal is term limited, so he cannot run again when his term ends in 2015. There is speculation that he would like to run for a higher executive office, and that he will seek the Republican presidential nomination in 2016.
UPDATE: Vitter emailed supporters Wednesday morning announcing that he was considering a gubernatorial bid. The email, the subject of which was “An Important Decision,” is below.
Wendy and I certainly hope your family had a great Thanksgiving. We did, with plenty of time to enjoy each other and reflect on our blessings.
Many good friends and supporters have encouraged me to run for Governor in 2015–to bring my focus and leadership to the challenges we face as a state. We started to consider this as a family over Thanksgiving. We certainly haven’t made our decision yet, so we’ll be reflecting and praying on it very carefully through the Christmas holidays.
As we do, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. And of course, please offer any insights you have.
Whatever our decision, I’m deeply honored by the opportunity to serve. These are important and, unfortunately, perilous times. We must all redouble our efforts to preserve our freedoms and use them to build a brighter future for our kids and grandkids.
Sincerely,
David