Romney considering 2016 presidential bid

Speaking with a group of potential donors on Friday, Mitt Romney said he was weighing his options. "Everybody in here can go tell your friends that I am considering a run," news agencies reported.

The Wall Street Journal, which first reported Romney's comments, said that he did not give a time frame for a decision to launch his third presidential campaign.

Romney failed to win a nomination in 2008 and lost the elections to President Barack Obama in 2012. This time around, the former presidential candidate will have to compete with ex-Florida Governor Jeb Bush, brother of former president George W Bush, for the Republican Party's major donors.

Bush said in December that he would like to explore running for the country's top post. On Tuesday, Reuters reported that he and his allies had formed political committees that would allow Bush to speak to his donors and raise money - a move that would put more pressure on Romney.

However, polls show that Romney could prove to be tough competition for Bush, should he choose to run.

mg/cmk (Reuters, dpa)