Although Mitt Romney has adamantly denied he will make a third attempt to run for president, the former Massachusetts governor made a surprising announcement on Friday, revealing he may jump into the 2016 presidential race.

After being defeated in his second race for the White House by President Barack Obama in November 2012, the former two-time Republican presidential candidate insisted he was not interested in running for president again. However, while speaking to several Republican donors at a private gathering on Friday, Romney said he is seriously considering a third run, reports The Associated Press.

Romney's announcement comes as former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush continues to lead an aggressive effort to raise money for his likely 2016 bid. Over the last several weeks, the brother of former President George W. Bush has hosted private fundraisers around the nation and is recruiting a staff for a potential campaign. In addition, the Washington Post reports that Bush is looking to raise $100 million over the first three months of 2015 in hopes of discouraging other potential contenders from entering the race.

As a result, Republican strategists believe Bush's hardline unannounced campaign may have prompted Romney to publicize his consideration to run.

"Jeb Bush forced everyone's hand," said Barney Keller, a Republican strategist. "If he's serious, Romney needs to start rounding up support, sooner rather than later."

Romney's stunning confession comes after he spent months rejecting the idea that he remained interested in becoming president.

"I'm not running for president," he declared on "Meet the Press" back in June, according to Yahoo! News. "I brought a number of the 2016 contenders here to meet with my fundraisers. If I had been running, I wouldn't be doing that.

He also gave a clear answer last January when asked by The New York Times if he'd consider a third presidential run, saying, "Oh, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no."

Likewise, during an interview on CNN's "The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer," he said, "I'm not running for president. I made that clear the morning after the last loss," reports the Washington Post.

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