Corey Lewandowski, political commentator, and former campaign manager for then-candidate Donald Trump said on Twitter that he would not be running for the U.S. Senate in New Hampshire.
“After much consideration, I have decided to forgo a campaign for the U.S. Senate. While taking on a career politician from the Washington swamp is a tall order, I am certain I would have won. My priorities remain my family and ensuring that [Trump] is re-elected as POTUS,” Lewandowski wrote on Twitter.
He said that he will focus instead on Trump’s re-election efforts and will soon endorse a Republican running for the Senate in New Hampshire.
“I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support I have received from people across New Hampshire and the country. N.H. needs a U.S. Senator who will put our citizens first and not illegal aliens; one who will support pro-growth policies to keep the Trump economy strong,” he added in the Tuesday post. “One who will support strict constitutionalist judges; and one who will fight for our values, not those of Washington, DC. Accordingly, I will be making an endorsement in the Republican Primary for U.S. Senate in the near future to ensure we defeat Jeanne Shaheen in 2020.”
(1/3) After much consideration I have decided to forgo a campaign for the US Senate. While taking on a career politician from the Washington swamp is a tall order, I am certain I would have won. My priorities remain my family and ensuring that @realDonaldTrump is re-elected POTUS
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) December 31, 2019
(2/3) I am truly humbled by the outpouring of support I have received from people across New Hampshire and the country.
NH needs a US Senator who will put our citizens first and not illegal aliens; one who will support pro-growth policies to keep the Trump economy strong;
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) December 31, 2019
(3/3) One who will support strict constitutionalist judges; and one who will fight for our values, not those of Washington, DC. Accordingly, I will be making an endorsement in the Republican Primary for US Senate in the near future to ensure we defeat Jeanne Shaheen in 2020.
— Corey R. Lewandowski (@CLewandowski_) December 31, 2019
Lewandowski mulled over running for the Senate as a Republican, which put him against Jeanne Shaheen, a two-term Democratic senator who narrowly won re-election in 2014, reported Bloomberg.
Shaheen was elected in 2008 after serving as New Hampshire’s governor from 1997 and 2003.
Trump did not explicitly endorse Lewandowski, but reportedly encouraged him to run, according to Bloomberg.
Trump asked Lewandowski to lead his campaign in January 2015, about half a year before Trump announced his bid, Lowell Sun reported.
Lewandowski successfully led the campaign through crowded Republican primaries but was fired by Trump in June 2016 after reportedly clashing with then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort.
Days later, Lewandowski was hired as a political commentator by CNN, but left days after Trump was elected president.
He’s remained a staunch Trump supporter, authoring, with David Bossie, a memoir about the 2016 presidential campaign called “Let Trump Be Trump.”
Recently, he’s been frequently making appearances on Fox News as a political commentator, weighing in on the alleged politically motivated abuse of government surveillance to spy on the Trump campaign by the previous administration in collusion with the Hillary Clinton campaign. The matter is being investigated by Congress.
To join Pence’s PAC, Lewandowski is leaving America First Policies, a nonprofit supporting Trump’s signature policies such as tax cuts and renegotiating trade deals.
In March 2016, Lewandowski was charged with simple battery for grabbing a Breitbart reporter by the arm at a press conference. The charge was later dismissed.
Epoch Times reporter Petr Svab contributed to this report.