John Thune isn't running for president. 
 
 "For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States," Thune said in a statement posted on his website today. 
 
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 reset VIDEO: Thune at CPAC VIDEO: Thune on 2012- Sept. '10 POLITICO 44 
 
 "I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate," he said. Thune's statement didn't indicate who he might support in the 2012 presidential primary. 
 
 Thune had an afternoon conference call to speak with supporters, and he called top donors early Tuesday to inform them of his decision. 
 
 Thune, who beat Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle to win his Senate seat in 2004, has been thinking about a presidential bid for months — but his inquiries were tepid compared to other more organized candidates. Earlier this month, he was tapped to serve on the powerful Finance Committee — and with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) set to retire next year, there is space for Thune to move up the ranks of the Senate leadership. 
 
 The South Dakotan had made clear in recent weeks that he lacked any burning desire to get on the campaign trail. “I like where I am," Thune said in an interview with POLITICO earlier this month. "I like what I do. These committee assignments are obviously going to give me a full portfolio for the foreseeable future. ... I’m in a place where I think I can make a difference. 
 
 He told confidantes there are three main reasons for his decision: his role in the Senate, his family and the timing. 
 
 "In 2012, there are a slew of Democratic seats that are up, and you could see the Senate flip. I think he wants to help his Senate colleagues win back the majority," top Republican fundraiser Gregory Slayton told POLITICO. Slayton, now based at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business in New Hampshire, has been speaking with Thune regularly for weeks. 
 
 Thune told Slayton he had to consider his family's role in a grueling presidential campaign — a sentiment that Thune expressed in his POLITICO interview when he said his wife had read "Game Change," an account of the 2008 campaign. 
 
 "It was not helpful,” he joked, calling the book a “downer.” 
 
 The third problem: timing. "Is this the right time in John's political career? With Kyl retiring, there are further opportunities for him in the Senate — and not just general Senate responsibilities but the overall role he might play," Slayton said. ||||| News 
 
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 Statement from John and Kimberley Thune Posted: February 22nd 2011 For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States. We have appreciated hearing their concerns about where the country is headed and their hopes for a new direction. 
 
 
 
 During this time, Kimberley and I and our two daughters have given a great deal of thought to how we might best serve South Dakota and our nation. That process has involved lots of prayer. 
 
 
 
 Along the way, we have been reminded of the importance of being in the arena, of being in the fight. And make no mistake that during this period of fiscal crisis and economic uncertainty there is a fight for the future direction of America. There is a battle to be waged over what kind of country we are going to leave our children and grandchildren and that battle is happening now in Washington, not two years from now. So at this time, I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate. 
 
 
 
 I want to thank those who have encouraged us and prayed for us during the past several months. We are forever grateful for all the support. 
 
 
 
 John and Kimberley 
 
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– The 2012 crop of GOP presidential candidates got a little smaller today: South Dakota Sen. John Thune announced on Facebook that he's not running. After "lots of prayer," he decided that he'll stay put and "fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate." Thune—who defeated then-Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle in 2004—had never been among the presidential front-runners, and his Senate career is getting more promising, reports Politico. The conservative scored a spot on the influential Finance Committee earlier this month.