Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday that he supports a minimum wage increase, NBCNews.com reported.
"I think we oughta raise it," Romney said. "Because, frankly, our party is all about more jobs and better pay and I think communicating that is important to us."
Romney, who also said on the show that he will not be running again in 2016, joins two other prominent Republicans in expressing support for a minimum wage increase.
Earlier this week, former senator and presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said the GOP's collective anti-wage increase "makes no sense."
"Let's not make this argument that we're for the blue-collar guy but we're against any minimum wage increase ever," he told MSNBC's "The Daily Rundown."
Last month, former Minnesota governor and 2012 presidential contender Tim Pawlenty said Republicans should push a "reasonable" hike.
"For all the Republicans who come on and talk about, ‘we're for the blue-collar worker, we're for the working person,' there are some basic things that we should be for," Pawlenty said. "One of them is reasonable increases from time to time in the minimum wage."
However, he later clarified his statement and said he didn't support the minimum wage increase being pushed by the White House and Senate Democrats because it was "too far and too fast."
When asked about possible presidential candidates in 2016, Romney gave a few predictions.
"You know some of my favorites," Romney said. "Paul Ryan, of course. I love Paul, we were a great team together. But Chris Christie and Jeb Bush and Rob Portman. The list is long. Scott Walker. There are a lot of fellows and hopefully some women, as well."
He then mentioned New Mexico Gov. Susana Martínez as a potential female candidate, commending her "great potential and leadership."
