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Washington • While Mitt Romney won't embark on a third run at the presidency, he plans to remain a prominent voice in the Republican Party as it sifts through a packed field for a 2016 contender.

"He's been active and out there," said House Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz, a Utah Republican in whose district Romney now lives. "He's not going to just simply put on a baseball cap and start going to Salt Lake Bees games."

Romney spent the past month seriously considering another campaign, meeting with donors and, in a series of speeches, trying out a potential platform that focused on helping the poor. But in a conference call with supporters Friday morning, Romney said while he has good poll numbers and the ability to raise money, he may not be the best positioned to win a general election.

"I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee," Romney told supporters on the conference call.

Romney's departure from the race seems to most benefit Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor and brother and son of past presidents, who has emerged as a Republican-establishment favorite. Bush has had success persuading some of Romney's past donors and supporters to back him in recent weeks. Romney had a private meeting in Utah a week ago with Bush that aides had spun as only a friendly get-together.

Former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt, a close friend and confidant of Romney, couched Romney's decision as a "selfless action" not made because of defections to Bush, but rather to help the GOP.

"I know he enjoys campaigning. I know he enjoys the process. I think he has passionate feelings about the issues. I think he is convinced he could make a difference," Leavitt said. "I think he worries that a year of sustained attacks on him would be damaging to the party's opportunity to win the White House."

Romney made his decision after a four-hour conversation with close advisers, who surveyed 2012 supporters and found a lack of enthusiasm for a third run, reported The New York Times.

While Romney's comments were meant to end any talk of a 2016 campaign, Leavitt wasn't ready to be so definitive.

"I always hoped that Mitt Romney would be president, so I'm disappointed that, at least for now, is not the avenue he is pursuing," said Leavitt, who was part of Romney's 2012 campaign team.

Asked if that meant Romney may reconsider in the months to come, Leavitt said: "Who knows what could happen? I don't."

Utah Republican Party Chairman James Evans, who had led a "Draft Mitt" effort in 2014, also wasn't willing to take Romney's no as the last word.

"There is a pathway, I think, if none of the candidates catch fire," Evans said. "Maybe everyone will collectively reach out to Mitt and say, 'We need you to do this.' "

Romney knows that he'll continue to get such questions and he offered a pre-emptive response during his conference call Friday.

"I've been asked, and will certainly be asked again, if there are any circumstances whatsoever that might develop that could change my mind. That seems unlikely," he said. "Accordingly, I'm not organizing a PAC or taking donations; I'm not hiring a campaign team."

He also said: "You can't imagine how hard it is for Ann and me to step aside."

The former Massachusetts governor, who lost to President Barack Obama by 5 million votes in 2012, had consistently said he wasn't running again. But that changed in late December when he hinted to donors that he might return to the campaign trail, a move met with glee by Democrats but concern by conservatives.

On Friday's short call, Romney didn't endorse any one candidate but said the party has plenty from whom to choose. Some of those White House hopefuls responded to Romney's announcement.

Bush posted on Facebook that he knows the decision wasn't easy and that Romney would never stop advocating for GOP principles.

"Mitt is a patriot," Bush wrote, "and I join many in hoping his days of serving our nation and our party are not over."

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, another possible Republican candidate, tweeted that he wished Romney and his wife, Ann, the best, and that he deeply respected their family and Mitt Romney's service.

Romney is scheduled to have dinner Friday evening with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, another potential GOP candidate.

No state gave Romney a higher margin of victory in 2012 than Utah, where he attended Brigham Young University and led the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Romney registered to vote in Utah last year at his new home in the Salt Lake City suburb of Holladay, officially becoming a state resident after selling his condo in Belmont, Mass. He also owns a ski chalet in Park City.

Utah's political leaders said they understood Romney's reasons for skipping a third campaign.

"I'm personally disappointed," said Lane Beattie, president of the Salt Lake Chamber. "But I'm happy for his family. It is hard to go through a campaign once, let alone three times."

Gov. Gary Herbert said: "I certainly respect his decision and I am sure he will continue to be an influential conservative voice on important issues."

Romney has the potential to play kingmaker in 2016. His donor base and list of supporters could benefit any hopeful.

Polls had shown Romney atop that large field. A Fox News survey Thursday had Romney claiming 21 percent of registered voters with Bush nabbing about 10 percent. The rest clocked in with single digits. The Real Clear Politics average shows that poll is consistent over recent months.

"I think he could have won," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said Friday. "On the other hand, I fully didn't expect him to run."

Hatch said the GOP would have a strong field — including several current or former governors such as Bush, Christie, Louisiana's Bobby Jindal and Ohio's John Kasich, as well as Paul and Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas — and that it was noble of Romney to step aside.

Even without a third try at the Oval Office, Romney made history as the first member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to win a major party's presidential nomination. Had Romney run again, aides noted, he would have been more open about his Mormon faith, something that he had mostly avoided talking about in his two previous outings.

"Mitt's candidacy clearly provided insight into the Mormon faith that didn't exist before," said Leavitt, who also is LDS. "Had he run again, I suspect that would have continued and perhaps been amplified. At least, it appears today, that that won't occur. I suspect his ongoing prominence will still have that effect."