Tate Says She Doesn’t Want Job as Press Secretary

President-elect George Bush’s campaign press secretary, Sheila Tate, said today she does not want to be White House press secretary in the new Administration.

Tate, 47, told United Press International that she told Bush on Wednesday: “I didn’t want to be considered for any job.”

“I talked to him about it,” she said, and added that Bush told her, “I understand the job is tough.”

Tate, who served as press secretary to Nancy Reagan during President Reagan’s first term in the White House, said: “I don’t want to work in government. . . . I don’t want to go through this bruising fight,” apparently referring to the strong competition for the White House press secretary job.

Her appointment as campaign press secretary was hailed as a first, and had appeared to be the stepping stone to becoming Bush’s press secretary in the White House and the first woman to serve in that capacity.