Bachmann: “I’m in the game for the long haul”
In her first interview since she announced she wasn't running for reelection, Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann hinted she may run for another, unspecified office.
"I'm not retiring. I'm not going silent," Bachmann said on Fox News. "I'm not quitting my public involvement. In fact I may run for another public office."
Bachmann offered no clues about the type of office she might seek. She stressed that she has no definitive plan right now. She appeared on Sean Hannity's show Thursday evening.
Hannity, a conservative talk show host who has given to Bachmann's Political Action Committee, did not ask Bachmann about the investigations surrounding the congresswoman's run for president in 2012.
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Hannity asked whether Bachmann is thinking about running for president in 2016.
"I'm not taking anything off the table," Bachmann said. "I'm in the game for the long haul."
Bachmann said she's "not leaving Washington" but may "find a different perch" to weigh in on federal issues.
She hasn't ruled out running for the U.S. Senate or governor.
But Carleton College political science professor Steven Schier told MPR News last week that Bachmann has few choices outside of the district she currently serves. Minnesota's 6th Congressional District is the most conservative in the state.
"I think Michele Bachmann may think about running for office again," Schier said. "The question is whether she can find a constituency that would be more sympathetic to her than the 6th District constituency. In the state of Minnesota, I don't think there is such a constituency."
Schier characterized Bachmann as a "fatal attraction" for Republicans. He said Republican delegates would be quite happy to nominate her for statewide office but said her electoral prospects for statewide office are slim.