Remember Carly Fiorina?
The Republican and former Hewlett-Packard CEO lost to Barbara Boxer in a Senate race four years ago, and she’s never held public office. Nevertheless, the Washington Post reports that Fiorina is actively exploring a 2016 presidential run.
Fiorina would face an uphill battle to get the GOP nomination. She’d be up against much more well-known and experienced candidates. Potential contenders include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Texas Senator Ted Cruz and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, for starters.
Fiorina and her backers believes she’ll stand out from the crowd of GOP hopefuls because she’s a former CEO, and a woman. Fiorina walked away with $21 million in severance pay when she left Hewlett-Packard in 2005, but she was forced out of her job after a tenure that was hardly an unqualified success. Fiorina parlayed that experience into a job as an economic adviser to Sen. John McCain, and she’s written two books.
Before running for president, though, she’ll have to wrap up some old business. The Post says Fiorina still owes nearly half-a-million bucks to consultants and staffers from her failed Senate bid.