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Unlikely GOP Candidate May Enter 2016 Race

by Katherine Johnson

Republican Rep. Peter King (NY-2)—who has gained attention for his candidness and party criticisms — has confirmed to Politicker that he's considering running for president in 2016.

“It’s certainly something that I’m going to look at. It’s an opportunity to speak out on national security and defense issues," King told Politicker.

King, who serves as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, seems to understand that he's an unlikely candidate, especially if he's up against G.O.P heavy weights like Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey or Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida.

“I’m not going to do it unless there’s a real chance,” King said in his interview with Politicker.

Although King holds a leadership position in the House, you may not have heard much about him. Recently, he gained attention for saying journalists should be prosecuted for reporting leaks, and specifically mentioned Glenn Greenwald, who conducted interviews with NSA leaker Edward Snowden.

King has also been known to criticize his own party: specifically, Sen. Marco Rubio, for voting against the Sandy bill, and Sen. Rand Paul, for his view on drones.