Jon Huntsman 2016? 2012 GOP Presidential Candidate Leaves Door Open For Future Run

Jon Huntsman, 2012 Republican presidential candidate and former ambassador to China under the Obama administration, did not rule out running again in 2016 in a Monday speech.

According to a video of his remarks by the Democratic tracking group American Bridge 21st Century, Huntsman gave a long answer at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College when asked about his 2016 plans. He ended with, "I'll always be committed to public service. And as an itinerant public servant, from time to time it's hard to know where you're gonna wind up. But I'm not here as a candidate tonight, that's for sure."

Yet Huntsman seemed to leave room for a bid in the future. He previously appeared to have soured on a 2016 run, according to recent comments compiled by The Run 2016 blog. "I might look crazy, but I’m not insane," he said to former Google CEO Eric Schmidt in September. "We’ve given the best years of our lives to politics," he added. "I believe that there is a season for all things, as the saying goes, and I think our season now is probably to reconnect with private life, to recharge and see where things go."

Huntsman's centrist positions could put him at odds with potential Republican primary voters in 2016. He came out for gay marriage in February 2013, and in a November 2012 interview with The Huffington Post, he called on the party to compromise on taxes by phasing out deductions and loopholes.