Sen. John Kennedy says he will not rule out a White House bid as his Senate term ends January 2029

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) said on Tuesday that he would not rule out a potential White House bid, despite describing near-term plans focused on the U.S. Senate.

Kennedy, speaking as his second term approaches its end, said, “I’m planning on running for the United States Senate,” according to The Hill. He added that if asked what he would do were “a lot of people” to enter the race, he would not rule out seeking the presidency.

Kennedy’s remarks come with his current Senate term set to end in January 2029, according to the report. He has served in the upper chamber for nearly a decade, The Hill said, and his comments address the timing of possible decisions about both the Senate and a presidential campaign.

The White House bid question also intersects with the mechanics of federal elections, where candidates must align decisions about filings, fundraising, and ballot access with statutory deadlines. A decision to pursue the presidency, rather than a Senate re-election, would affect whether the seat he holds becomes an open seat at the start of the next Congress.

In the same discussion, Kennedy’s statements continued to frame his focus on the Senate while leaving room for changing circumstances, with The Hill describing his willingness to consider other options rather than categorically dismissing a run for President.

No official campaign paperwork or formal presidential campaign launch was described in the report. The next concrete step described was the continued intent to seek election to the U.S. Senate, with the presidential question remaining conditional as of Tuesday’s comments.

As Kennedy’s term end approaches, any move toward a presidential campaign would have to be coordinated with Senate election timing in Louisiana and with party processes for selecting presidential nominees, though the report did not provide details on those steps.