Mitt Romney says his family really wants him to run for president again

Mitt Romney and family after he conceded the 2012 presidential election.
(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Even though he lost the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney says his family wants him to give the White House another shot this year.

"My wife and kids wanted me to run again this time," he told CBS News anchor John Dickerson Wednesday at the Aspen Ideas Festival. "I got an email from one of my sons yesterday, saying, 'You gotta get in, Dad. You gotta get in.'" He won't run, he said, as he doesn't think an independent candidate can win, and he wants to spare the feelings of his wife and children. "It's hard on family," Romney said. "It's hard on your spouse sitting there in debates agonizing over what you're going to say next or what your kids go through and your grandkids go through."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.