Perry: I’d ‘Absolutely’ Consider Another White House Bid

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who briefly held the status of front-runner in this year’s GOP primary race, said Wednesday that he "absolutely" would contemplate another run.

He even implied that it could be next time around if Mitt Romney fails to win in November.

"It's a long time until 2016, and a lot of good things could happen," he told MSNBC's Chuck Todd, The Hill reports. "My plan is for Mitt Romney to win and for him to get this country back on track, and I'll keep running the best state in the nation."

Perry’s previous response to questions about his presidential future was that a decision about any effort to run again would be made "way down the road." He hasn’t yet announced whether he will seek re-election as governor two years from now.

Perry told a Dallas-Fort Worth TV station in April that if he does again run for president, he will start running earlier. Perry maintains that his late entrance into the race, in July, hurt his chances.

Perry is attending the Republican National Convention this week in Tampa, but he won’t be giving a speech on the floor.