Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, ‘seriously thinking about running for president’

Schultz said he would run as a centrist independent, which Seattle Times reporter Jim Brunner said makes sense: “I don’t think he would have much a shot in the Democratic primaries,” Brunner told KUOW.

Howard Schultz, the former Starbucks CEO, surprised no one this week when he announced on "60 Minutes" that he is “seriously thinking about running for president” in 2020.

After all, Schultz has been building up a political team for a while, and he has made public proclamations have a whiff of someone with political aspirations.

Brunner said that Schultz may not be running as a Democrat because, he said, “I don't think that Democratic primary voters are necessarily looking for a corporate CEO billionaire type with no political experience."

Read Jim Brunner’s stories on Howard Schultz at the Seattle Times:

Howard Schultz, former Starbucks CEO, is preparing to run as an independent

In new book, Howard Schultz says he's sorry for Sonics betrayal

Brunner interviewed Schultz on Sunday night; Schultz told him that he doesn’t enjoy the comparison to President Donald Trump, who is just that: a corporate billionaire with little political experience.

“He resents the comparison a little bit,” Brunner said. “He does come from a different background: He didn't have millions of dollars of loans from his father to get started. He grew up in public housing in New York. He really is a self-made billionaire. But a billionaire businessman nevertheless.”

Schultz has supported Democrats over the years, and given money to Dems … but also given a little to Republicans.

Brunner said Schultz said that despite his history of political giving, “he believes that neither party is doing what's needed for the American people, and that there needs to be a centrist third party for people who don't feel represented by either.”

And what about Seattle Sonics fans? Could they ever forgive him for selling the team to Oklahoma? In his book, which becomes available for purchase on Monday, includes an apology.

Schultz says in his book that losing the Sonics has been tragic for generations of kids – but that lip service may be too late to appease Sonics fans.

“It's 10 years or more late,” Brunner said. “Sonics fans for years have blamed him and I don't think at this point I haven't seen many of them saying ‘We accept this apology.’”

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.