Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney listed some of his favorite contenders for the party’s 2016 nomination Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” but notably left off a few big names.
Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, and John Kasich were all name-checked by the former Massachusetts governor — but notably Rand Paul, Ted Cruz and Chris Christie were not.
This past weekend Romney hosted a summit in Utah that attracted some potential Republican nominees. Friday night, Romney said while there are more than a handful in the Republican field, he has his eye on a select few.
“I think there are probably six or seven or eight who I would look at and say, ‘That is someone where they and I agree on major issues and they could be an effective president of the United States,’” said Romney.
Romney highlighted the Republican field’s “different types of experience” to moderator Chuck Todd, by pointing to the accomplishments of Bush, Walker, and Kasich.
“Jeb Bush, of course, was a superb governor, did a great job,” Romney said. “Scott Walker has taken on tough issues in Wisconsin ... John Kasich, governor of Ohio, you see extraordinary job growth there.”
Romney also singled out Rubio’s time as speaker of the Florida House as significant leadership experience.
Speaking as the party’s former nominee, Romney had a piece of advice for the field: Don’t lose focus on minority voters.
“I think the biggest mistake I made was not focusing very early on minority voters,” said Romney. “Our policies, as a conservative group of people, our policies are designed to help people get out of poverty and to see rising incomes.”