Source: http://www.pantagraph.com/articles/2008/04/08/news/doc47fbf45907555151540067.txt

Gubernatorial run in mix for Rutherford

4/8/2008

Bloomington Pantagraph

Mike Riopell

SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Dan Rutherford said Tuesday he is considering the possibility of running for governor in 2010.

The Chenoa Republican has previously said he wants to run for a statewide office, and Tuesday said he hasn't ruled out a bid for the top spot.

''That's not an announcement for governor,'' Rutherford said. ''But it's also a statement saying that we're not excluding that as an option.''

Rutherford, 53, lost a 2006 race to be Secretary of State to Democrat Jesse White. White has already said he plans to run for the office again in 2010.

For his part, Rutherford recently has spent time traveling the state and talking to people.

He said Tuesday that it's much too early for people to begin declaring what offices they'll seek in 2010, especially with the presidential election garnering a lot of political attention.

''I'm not putting together a campaign for governor today,'' Rutherford said. ''But we are not eliminating any option of what we may do in 2010.''

Rutherford, whose district encompasses a large swath of central Illinois, stretching from the Indiana border to the Illinois River, has served in the General Assembly since 1993.

Republican state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington has said he's planning to run again for governor in 2010. He tried in 2006 and finished third in the Republican primary election behind former state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka.

Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich went on to win, and it's unclear whether he'll run for re-election on the Democratic side.