WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has resigned as a national co-chairman of Republican Mitt Romney's presidential campaign to lobby for Wall Street. He has also ruled out a run for governor or Senate in Minnesota in 2014.
The Financial Services Roundtable announced Thursday that Pawlenty will become its new president and chief executive officer on November 1. Pawlenty adviser Brian McClung told The Associated Press that Pawlenty ruled out the races as he prepared to take the job heading the Wall Street lobbying group.
"With this new position, Governor Pawlenty is taking off the table running for U.S. Senate or governor in 2014," McClung said in an email. Pawlenty did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Pawlenty was an early entrant in the Republican presidential campaign, but he ended his bid last year after a poor showing in the Iowa caucuses. He was also a finalist to be Romney's vice presidential running mate.
The Financial Services Roundtable said in a press release that Pawlenty was stepping down from the campaign because the group is a bipartisan organization.
Pawlenty was twice elected governor of Minnesota, in 2002 and 2006. His 2006 win was the last time a Republican won statewide in Minnesota. Now Republicans will be looking for candidates to take on U.S. Sen. Al Franken and Gov. Mark Dayton in 2014, when they will be running for second terms.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
Comments (5)
Add commentSorry Pawlenty, but I used to like you.
Dropping out is probably good for all involved.
We'd better hope that he's as
We'd better hope that he's as ineffective as a lobbyist for the banksters as he was our governor. If they succeed in killing increased regulation of their "heads they win, tails we lose" way of gambling with OUR MONEY they'll crash the economy again.
Who cares?
Pawlenty didn't even make a big impact when he was running in the primaries, it's not like his departure is going to be a big loss to team Romney. If Romney can get rid of some of the milquetoasts advising him, he might have a chance in November.
Uh, fish, as for gambling with our money
you might want to talk with Dayton and his gamble on pull tabs to pay for a stadium he helped shove through.
"If they succeed in killing
"If they succeed in killing increased regulation of their "heads they win, tails we lose" way of gambling with OUR MONEY"
really? Dodd-Frank is literally smothering community banks, while the big guys have to ramp up fees on the most basic of banking just to cover the increase costs of regulation compliance. The regulation of Dodd-Frank is only about 30% enacted, how much do you think it will cost to bank when done?