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Doyle may try for re-election

Two-term governor begins fundraising for a 2010 run; Republicans look for opponent

With the 2008 presidential and congressional elections over, Wisconsin is now looking toward the next big state race, the 2010 state gubernatorial election, raising questions about whether Gov. Jim Doyle will run for a third term.

Doyle has not given a definitive answer about his re-election plans but has begun fundraising efforts for his campaign should he decide to run, raising over $1 million thus far.

His website also points to signs of a possible re-election bid, with the domain name of his campaign website changing to www.jimdoyle2010.com, although the website’s content is still from 2006.

According to Lee Sensenbrenner, spokesperson for Doyle, there is still plenty of time for the governor to decide if he wants to run for re-election in 2010.

“The governor is concentrating on some of the issues currently facing the state and has always said there is still plenty of time to decide if he wants to run or not,” Sensenbrenner said. “He is putting himself in a position to run but concentrating on other issues right now.”

With Doyle still unsure about his 2010 election plans, Lt. Gov. Barbara Lawton has been seen as a possible Democratic candidate for governor.

Like Doyle, Lawton has also started fundraising for a possible campaign but also has yet to give a definitive answer about her 2010 plans.

“Lt. Governor Lawton is positioning herself right now to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves in 2010,” Lawton’s campaign coordinator Matt Dulak said. “She is maintaining an active campaign, while working very hard in her current constitutional position.”

Although Lawton is raising money, the exact amount she has raised is currently unknown.

“We are very pleased with the fundraising results this cycle,” Dulak said. “The total amount we’ve raised will be released in early February.”

The Republican Party of Wisconsin is also beginning to prepare for the election. Although there is currently no official Republican nominee, many members of the party have expressed interest in running.

“No one has declared at this point,” said Nancy Bartlett, secretary for the RPW. “There have been a few names of people that are interested, but none that have come to the surface as much as Scott Walker.”

Walker is currently serving as the Milwaukee County executive and ran for governor in 2006 but dropped out due to a lack of funds, eventually deferring to fellow Republican candidate Mark Green.

“It’s two years away, and it’s going to be an interesting ride the next two years. If I had to say right now, I would say that the budget is going to be a major issue in the next election,” Bartlett said. “In regards to Doyle’s plans, there are a lot of rumors flying around out there, and I don’t want to speculate.”

The filing deadline for the campaign is June 2010. The general election is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2010.