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Report: Rick Snyder will not run for president in 2016

Posted at 8:00 PM, May 06, 2015
and last updated 2015-05-06 20:00:06-04

WASHINGTON — Governor Rick Snyder will not run for president of the United States in 2016, according to POLTICO.com, which cites two sources familiar with his planning.

The report from the political website comes just one day after Michigan voters overwhelmingly rejected the Snyder-backed road funding ballot initiative that would have raised fuel taxes to pay for roads and raised the state sales tax.

“He is concerned about solving the problems in Michigan and the time commitment needed for out-of-state travel,”one source told POLITICO.

A Snyder spokesperson declined to comment to POLITICO but told FOX 17 the governor remains committed to telling the “Michigan comeback story.”

“(Snyder) has not made any formal announcements or decisions on the presidential campaign,” a spokesperson told FOX 17 Wednesday evening.

“He remains focused on the issues at hand in Michigan, like fixing our roads.

Rumors of a possible presidential run began swirling as the governor launched a national tour to promote Michigan and the state’s future. When asked about it in April, Snyder told FOX 17 he didn’t want to stir up speculation but also remained vague.

“I’m proud to be the governor of Michigan, and I’m going to go out on this tour talking about Michigan,” he told FOX 17 in April.  “We’ll take things one step at a time.”