Here's a happy new Republican candidate for a long-shot run at higher office; former Colorado Rep. Scott McInnis, who has kicked around the idea of running for Senate a number of times.
Oddly enough, however, he isn't running for Senate, against vulnerable appointed Democratic new boy Michael Bennet.
He's taking on a much more difficult race, a run for Governor against Democrat Bill Ritter.
Former Congressman Scott McInnis has been saying for weeks that it's too early to announce whether he's running for governor next year, but privately he's telling his friends: "I'm in."
The race for Governor is certainly considered the tougher statewide option, as opposed to the Senate race; Ritter has run statewide and won handily, where Bennet hasn't run for anything yet.
Adding to the bizarritude is that McInnis will face off against both a former staffer and a former law partner:
McInnis' entry into the race would likely set up a Western Slope showdown between himself and Josh Penry, his one-time protege and political rival since at least 2006.
Meanwhile, Ritter himself is McInnis' former law partner, and judging by McInnis' early statements, he's not exactly going super-bloodthirsty against the incumbent:
"I like Bill. He's a neat guy. It's not that he's doing so bad, but I think I can deliver more for the state," McInnis said.
That's an awfully milquetoast statement from someone who wants to dethrone a sitting governor with wide support in a Democratic-trending state.