Rick Perry aide says 2016 run not out of the question
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Despite a disappointing showing in the 2012 campaign, a top aide for Texas Gov. Rick Perry says he's not closing the door on another bid in 2016 if President Obama is elected to a second term.
"Keep in mind that almost all of our nominees in the last 50 years have been on their second attempt at the White House. Republican voters tend to like experienced candidates that they've seen for a long time. I wouldn't rule that out," said Ray Sullivan, Perry's communications director.
Rick Perry drops his presidential bid
Sullivan, who was one of the top aides that Perry consulted when he decided to continue his run after Iowa, added that Perry did not dissuade him from raising the possibility of running a second campaign.
It is also possible, he said, that Perry will pursue another term as the governor of Texas in 2014. He is already the longest-serving governor in the state's history, with over a decade in the office, and Texas does not have term limits.
Following the announcement that he had dropped out, the governor departed for his home in Austin, Texas, where he will remain through the weekend before deciding whether to campaign for Newt Gingrich, whom he endorsed when he left the race.