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Posted Apr. 29, 2005

Congressman Green set to announce decision

If you go

Mark Green is expected to announce his campaign for Wisconsin governor at 1 p.m. Sunday at the National Railroad Museum, 2285 S. Broadway, Ashwaubenon, in the Lenfestey Center. The event is open to the public. People are urged to arrive by 12:45 p.m.

Congressman?s intentions on run for governor will be revealed Sunday at Ashwaubenon rally

By Brian Tumulty
Gannett News Service

WASHINGTON ? Rep. Mark Green could be one of at least a half dozen lawmakers trying to make the leap from the U.S. House of Representatives to the governor?s mansion in November 2006.

Green, R-Hobart, is expected to officially announce his candidacy Sunday for the Republican nomination to run against Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. Another Republican, Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker, also may run.

According to documents filed with the Federal Election Commission, Green transferred more than $1.2 million from his congressional campaign committee to a state committee Jan. 26 in apparent preparation for his gubernatorial bid.

Green?s campaign spokesman, Mark Graul, said the congressman would announce a decision Sunday but declined to confirm whether he will join the race.

Reps. Jim Davis of Florida, a Democrat, and Butch Otter of Idaho, a Republican, already have announced they plan on running for governor of their respective states.

Three others ? Reps. Jim Nussle of Iowa, Jim Gibbons of Nevada and Bob Beauprez of Colorado, all Republicans ? also are likely to announce they will run for governor in 2006, according to Stuart Rothenberg of the Rothenberg Political Report.

And Rep. Ray LaHood, R-Ill., is considering a bid in Illinois, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

?Elected public officials have an insatiable desire to run for higher elected office,? said James Thurber, director of American University?s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies. ?There?s always been a revolving door.?

Thurber said the recent polarization and antagonism between Republicans and Democrats in Washington may have increased the trend.

?It?s not really a pleasant place to be so it encourages them to look at gubernatorial races,? he said.

Recent history also offers some encouragement for aspirants.

Six U.S. House members were elected governors in November 2002, according to the National Governors Association. Two were Democrats: Rod Blagojevich in Illinois and John Baldacci in Maine. Four were Republicans: Ernie Fletcher in Kentucky, Robert Ehrlich in Maryland, Bob Riley in Alabama and Mark Sanford in South Carolina.

Two current governors ? Republicans Frank Murkowski in Alaska and Dirk Kempthorne in Idaho ? are former U.S. senators.

The leap Green is trying to make from Congress to governor is not a one-way street.

Nine U.S. senators and one House member are former governors, according to the Congressional Monitor.

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