Report: Sebelius not considering Senate race

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is not interested in running for the U.S. Senate in Kansas, the New York Times reported.

A Sebelius spokeswoman told the newspaper in a story posted late Thursday that the secretary is "continuing her important work at H.H.S. and is not considering a run for the Senate."

Earlier this week, the Times reported Sebelius, who recently tendered her resignation from the high-profile Cabinet job, was "considering entreaties from Democrats" to run against GOP Sen. Pat Roberts back home in Kansas.

President Obama announced Sebelius' resignation last week and said he would nominate Sylvia Mathews Burwell, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, to take her place.

Republicans had strongly criticized Sebelius for the botched rollout of HealthCare.gov, the website through which people can enroll for insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Although Sebelius is a former Kansas governor, a Senate campaign would have been a challenge. Obama is not popular in Kansas and mustered only 38% of the vote there in 2012. A Democrat hasn't been elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas since 1932.