John Kerry won't rule out a 2020 presidential run

Gonzalo Fuentes

Former Secretary of State John Kerry is not ruling out a 2020 presidential run.

• Former Secretary of State John Kerry would not rule out running for president in 2020 when questioned by "Face The Nation" host Margaret Brennan.
• "Talking about 2020 right now is a total distraction and waste of time," Kerry told Brennan, adding, "What we need to do is focus on 2018."
• Kerry was the Democratic nominee for president in 2004 but ultimately lost the election to former President George W. Bush.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry would not rule out running for president in 2020 when questioned by "Face The Nation" host Margaret Brennan in an interview that's set to air on Sunday. 

Kerry, who was the Democratic nominee for president in 2004 but ultimately lost to former President George W. Bush, didn't dismiss the idea of another campaign.

"Talking about 2020 right now is a total distraction and waste of time," Kerry told Brennan, adding, "What we need to do is focus on 2018."

In the aftermath of President Donald Trump's stunning 2016 victory, the 74-year-old Kerry hasn't given a clear answer as to whether he still has presidential ambitions. 

In February 2017, for example, he told The New York Times, "I haven't been thinking about it or talking about it. I haven't ruled anything in or anything out."

Later on, in September, he told MSNBC's Joe Scarborough he didn't have "any plans" to run for president but also didn't rule it out.

And in January 2018, reports surfaced claiming Kerry had told Palestinian officials he planned to run in 2020. 

As it's still quite early, there's no clear frontrunner among Democrats for the 2020 nomination. But top senators such as Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, Chris Murphy, and Kirsten Gillibrand have been pegged as leading contenders.

Many have also suggested Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is an independent but ran as a Democrat in 2016, could throw his hat in the ring once more.

And former Vice President Joe Biden, who remains popular nationwide, has also been mentioned in numerous discussions on potential presidential candidates. Biden last month said he'd make up his mind on whether he's running by January 2019.