Ohio Sen. Rob Portman won't run for president in 2016

Cross him off the list: Ohio Sen. Rob Portman (R) said he will not run for president in 2016, and will instead seek a second term in the Senate.

Portman told The Associated Press he believes he'll be able to play an important role as a member of the Republican majority in the Senate. "I'm excited about it," he said. Named as one of Mitt Romney's potential running mates in 2012, Portman shared that he isn't planning on going down that road in 2016. "I have been through it," he said. "It's obviously not something that you run for. But I'm not interested. I'm interested in staying in the Senate."

Portman didn't mention the other Republican senators contemplating running for president — Rand Paul of Kentucky, Marco Rubio of Florida, and Ted Cruz of Texas — but did talk about former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. "I think he'd be a strong candidate," he told AP. "I also think that [Ohio Gov.] John Kasich would be a strong candidate."

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