Potential 2010 gubernatorial candidates: Democrats

Despite some highly contentious Oregon races in the 2008 election, speculation on who will run for Governor in 2010 is mounting regularly.  With our entire statewide delegation members of the Democratic Party, it’s likely we’ll see another elected in 2010.  Here’s a quick list of possible candidates being discussed.

Portland lawyer and former US Senate candidate Steve Novick has surfaced after building a broad coalition of Democratic support in his race against Jeff Merkley.  He is more formidable in a multi-candidate race, as opposed to a one-on-one, where labor and liberal support will be spread more thinly.  

Former Republican Senator and current Democratic nominee for State Treasurer Ben Westlund has already made a run for governor back in 2006 as an independent.  Aides to Westlund publicly proclaim his sincere interest in being Oregon’s top moneyman, but quietly they will tell you a run for governor is imminent.  

Should a loss in his head-to-head with Senator Gordon Smith become a reality this November, Oregon House Speaker Jeff Merkley could transfer his liberal charm to a race for governor in two years.  Although, he might have a tougher time with more than one heavyweight opponent in the race and no backing from the big boys at the DSCC.

Portland State Senator and Dem nominee for Secretary of State Kate Brown has never been shy about her gubernatorial ambitions.  After losing her bid for Senate President to current President Peter Courtney, she made it clear to many she intends to run for Oregon’s top job.  One quick win against TV personality Rick Dancer this November and she’ll be a mid-term SoS heading for the starting line.

After a stunning loss in his bid for Attorney General, State Rep. Greg Macpherson has lost some political capital if he still has thoughts of running in 2010.  Organized labor made their anger towards Macpherson for his PERS reform efforts very clear by funding nearly half of his opponent’s entire bank account in the Democratic primary.  Though a run might be more difficult at this point, much like Novick, Macpherson would benefit from a multi-candidate race with several labor-friendly candidates.

State Senator Rick Metsger has run for statewide office twice now.  He made a brief run for governor in the 2006 Dem primary and more recently (and seriously) he ran in the Dem contest for Secretary of State.  He lacks the ability to bring in liberals from the valley, but has the eyes, ears and dollars of many in the business community.

Although he’s relatively new to the Oregon political game (and to Oregon for that matter), Attorney General Dem nominee John Kroger has been rumored to be considering a bid for governor in two years.  In addition to the love received from public employee unions, Kroger established a reputation for strong grassroots organization.  The 2010 race may be too soon, but expect to see Kroger climb the political ladder in the future.