Senor: Paul Ryan Never Thought He’d Seek House Speaker But ‘Stakes Are too High’

Senor: Paul Ryan Never Thought He’d Seek House Speaker But ‘Stakes Are Too High’ (The Washington Free Beacon)

Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) never expected to be pursuing the position of Speaker of the House but feels the “stakes are too high” for him to not take the mantle, Dan Senor said Wednesday on MSNBC.

House Speaker John Boehner announced last month he would step down at the end of October, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) abruptly withdrew from consideration Oct. 8. Ryan, who previously said he would not run, said Tuesday that he would be willing to serve if he could be a uniting figure for the Republican caucus.

Senor, the co-founder of the Foreign Policy Initiative, was the senior foreign policy adviser in 2012 to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who then selected Ryan as his running mate. MSNBC host Brian Williams noted Senor had gotten to know Ryan quite well as a result.