Allen West not ruling out VP bid: ‘I’m always willing to serve my country’

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) is not closing the door to being considered for the vice presidential spot, despite only having served in Congress for less than three months. 

Speculation over West was sparked Friday when former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), who is considering a presidential bid, said that a number of Florida GOP politicians would do well as vice president, including West.

{mosads}When asked about Gingrich’s comments by WPTV-TV, West asked, “He said that?”

“I have to pray about it and I have to clear it with my wife and two daughters,” he added. “I never thought that seven years ago when I retired here I’d be a United States congressman, and that I’d be standing in front of your news camera. So we don’t know what the future holds, but I’m always willing to serve my country.” 

West, 50, is one of two black Republicans elected to Congress in the 2010 midterm elections, which saw the GOP take control of the House with the backing of Tea Party activists. Florida has never had a candidate on a national ticket, according to WPTV. 

To become vice president, West would need to be chosen by the Republican Party’s presidential nominee after a thorough vetting process.

During his short time in Washington, West has garnered significant media attention for his staunchly conservative views on policy and his tough talk.

West, a decorated lieutenant colonel, served in the Iraq war but was the subject of an investigation into his behavior during an interrogation of an Iraqi police officer, and subsequently retired.