WASHINGTON -- Condoleezza Rice's name on the Republican ticket is a dream to some, but not a reality she can see happening.

The secretary of State told reporters Friday she will not be a vice presidential candidate in the upcoming election.

"I have always said that the one thing that I have not seen myself doing is running for elected office in the United States," she said at a news conference to discuss her recent trip to Africa. "I didn't even run for high school president. It's sort of not in my genes."

Instead, Rice told reporters: "You can all come and visit me in California."

Rice has said she plans to return to Stanford University, where she served as provost and taught as a professor.

She said she is looking forward to making her choice for president as a voter after being involved in President Bush's 2000 campaign and having a strong interest in his 2004 re-election.

"I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing as secretary of State to see if we can use the last few months, as the president has put it, to sprint to the finish because there's a lot of work to do," Rice said.