He said as much on Sunday in a lecture he delivered with his wife, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), to students at the University of Kansas.
The former Republican Kansas senator discussed civic engagement and grew nostalgic about his 1996 presidential run.
“I really wanted to be president,” Dole said, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal. “I drove by the White House a lot, peeked in the windows.”
And Dole, who still lives in D.C., said he misses the hustle and bustle of Capitol Hill sometimes.
“Somedays when I watch C-SPAN,” he said, “I wish I were back.”