The Hill News

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) uttered the magic words in public for the first time since announcing his intentions to run for president. 

Asked by CNN's Piers Morgan if he would hypothetically consider accepting the vice presidential nomination, Pawlenty said, "I'm running for president.

{mosads}"I'm not throwing my hat in the ring rhetorically, or ultimately, for vice president," he said. "So, I'm running for president."

Pawlenty's comment, though expected, indicate he is very close to formally rolling out his full presidential campaign.

The former governor was the first mainstream GOP presidential contender to form an exploratory committee, when he did so in late March. Now, others are emerging from the field: former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) announced his exploratory committee on Monday.

Pawlenty has demonstrated that he is serious about seeking the GOP nomination, even though he continues to lag beh! ind other candidates in the polls. He hired top Republican operative Nick Ayers as his campaign manager on Monday and has worked to assemble staff in early primary states such as Iowa and New Hampshire while courting major party donors. 

The candidate brushed aside one of the main concerns about his fledgling campaign, that his name recognition is extremely low. A CNN/Opinion Research poll showed that only two percent pick Pawlenty as their first choice.

"I'm just, for me, getting known Piers, so our trajectory is kind of a tortoise and hare strategy. And as we get better known, particularly in the early states, I think you'll see those numbers change for me."