Gutierrez says he might run for president

Rep. Luis Gutiérrez said Friday that he will consider running for president if President Obama does not “go big” on immigration executive action.

The Illinois Democrat was asked about a possible presidential run by MSNBC host Jose Diaz-Balart on Friday. 

“If the president doesn’t go big, if the president doesn’t go wide, if he isn’t generous, certainly there are many throughout the country who say there should be a challenge for the heart and soul of the Democratic Party if it, once again, turns its back on our immigrant community,” Gutiérrez said. “And if that were to happen, I’ll give you a call, Jose. Because it will be something that we will be required to do.”

{mosads}Gutiérrez is a leading proponent of immigration reform and has long pressed for action from Obama. He told Crain’s Chicago Business earlier this week that Hispanic dissatisfaction will rise if Obama does not act in a big way. 

“I have not ruled out the possibility of running,” he said then. If the president’s order is not big enough “I think there’s going to be broad disillusionment and a questioning of why we support the Democratic Party so overwhelmingly” he added.

Gutiérrez has previously expressed support for Hillary Clinton, the presumed Democratic presidential front-runner. He would face an uphill fight against her if he challenged the former secretary of State for the nomination.  

“I think she’d make a great president of the United States because she’s ready to go on day one,” he told The Hill last year. “I’m with her 100 percent. I think she’d be a marvelous president because she’s tested already; she has broad support in Democratic circles.”

However, Gutiérrez might determine a presidential run is unnecessary, because he expresses optimism in the signs coming from the White House on immigration action. 

“Next week I fully expect that I and members of the Democratic caucus will be meeting with the president, so that we can get a better picture and understanding of the depth and the specificity, that is which groups,” Gutiérrez said on MSNBC Friday. “But I think that every report that we’ve seen in the media are good reports. It’s about millions and millions of people.”