Dr. Ben Carson turned down an offer to serve as the Health and Human Services secretary under President-elect Donald Trump, the retired neurosurgeon's business manager confirmed to Circa on Tuesday.
Carson was floated as Trump's top pick for the position, which will be tasked with dismantling President Obama's signature health care law, the Affordable Care Act.
"Dr. Carson was never offered a specific position, but everything was open to him," Armstrong Williams, Carson's business manager, told the Hill. "Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience; he's never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency.
Trump recently praised Carson at an anti-Obamacare rally, calling him a "brilliant" physician who he hoped would be "very much involved in my administration in the coming years."
Florida Gov. Rick Scott and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have also been floated as potential choices.
Trump has previously hinted that Carson may be selected as head of the Education Department.
Carson ran against Trump during the Republican primary elections. He arose as one of Trump's lead surrogates during the general election campaign against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.