New York congressman Peter King said that he’s flattered that his name has been floated as a possible Republican presidential candidate, but insists that he’s doing little to keep such talk afloat, POLITICO’s Maggie Haberman and Jennifer Epstein reported earlier today.
King’s name had been thrown in the presidential mix by Joseph Mondello, a longtime ally and chairman of the Nassau County Republican Committee during a fundraising dinner Tuesday evening.
Mondello’s remarks, suggesting that the ten-term lawmaker should run as a favorite-son candidate in New York, was wildly received by the 1,100 Republicans in attendance.
King, who has a history of floating trail balloons — contemplating a challenge to Hillary Clinton in 2000, forming an exploratory committee to run against Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer in 2004 and considering a bid for governor of New York last year before briefly setting his sights on the U.S. Senate against Kirsten Gillibrand, who had been appointed to fill Clinton’s seat — said that he wasn’t encouraging a presidential candidacy, but is willing to “let this play out.”
The 67-year-old King, who hasn’t been seriously challenged for his Long Island congressional seat since fending off entrepreneur and activist Dal La Magna in 1996, said that he remains focused on winning an eleventh term in the U.S. House.
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