According to Politico, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will not seek a third term. http://www.politico.com/...
This is interesting news to me because I am a resident of the state. The article does not say if he will serve out his first term or step aside. Apparently there had been buzz that he may be considered for a position inside the Obama administration.
The large budget deficit, high unemployment,and low approval ratings apparently had an effect on his decision not to run. I personally have never had any serious issues with Doyle. I did not like that he used the line item veto to strip an increase in the Milwaukee County sales tax out of this budget. Without that additional revenue, services I use such as public transportation will see continued reductions and cuts. It seems every year these services are reduced and it adversely effects lower income people than anyone else.
I hope that we can find a strong candidate to run in his place. I shudder to think what will happen if Scott Walker wins the Governor's Mansion. I live in Milwaukee and have seen the results of his policies first hand. The city council is at odds with Walker all the time. He refuses to raise taxes on anything, instead trying to cut wherever he can. I don't know much about Mark Neumann.
Barbara Lawton has stated she will step in to run if Doyle did not. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has also been mentioned. I'll have to study their positions more to see who I would think would be best for Wisconsin. It would be nice to elect the first female governor of the state. If Doyle steps aside early for an Obama appointment or for any other reason, I don't know if Lawton would benefit from being the incumbent. I don't believe it did Scott McCallum any favors when he stepped in for Tommy Thompson.
The Wisconsin gubernatorial race just got a lot more interesting. I don't know if Doyle stepping out makes this race easier or harder since his numbers have been falling recently.
Update: Doyle will make an announcement about his future on Monday.
http://www.jsonline.com/...