Former California Rep. Mike Honda is considering running for mayor of San Jose after losing his seat in the House in 2016.

When asked whether he was considering running by the San Jose Mercury News, the Democrat said, “I’m not saying no.”

Honda lost in a rematch against Rep. Ro Khanna in 2016 for California’s 17th District after he beat Khanna in 2014.

Honda was the subject of an ethics investigation into using congressional resources for the 2014 campaign, which damaged him in the 2016 race.

Honda told the Mercury News that many people have approached him about running for mayor.

“I think it’s pretty flattering and I think it’s worth talking to people who are interested in it, but, at this point, I’ve heard the same thing you’ve heard — that there have been rumors,” he said.

Before serving in Congress, Honda was a member of the San Jose School Board, the city planning commission, and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

“I think it’s a compliment,” Honda said of talk of him running. “But I think it’s a move that would require a lot more conversation and thinking, but certainly the city of San Jose could ask themselves if the kind of mayor we need in the future…do we have that kind of person and if not, what kind of person do we need?”

Honda would potentially be challenging incumbent Mayor Sam Liccardo, who said he was “fired up for a robust conversation with any candidate and the community I serve about how we can continue San Jose’s tremendous momentum and tackle the challenges ahead.”