Who will run for governor in 2010?  Now An Ex-Senator, Coleman Gets Bipartisan Sendoff

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned that former Sen. Norm Coleman has been privately telling friends and political colleagues he will not run for the Minnesota governor's seat in 2010.

When Coleman made a gracious concession speech to Sen. Al Franken, it might have been his final exit from elective politics.

In late June, Coleman would only say he'd have some announcement after the July 4. But on Monday, a spokesman for Coleman now says he will wait until March or April to announce a final decision on the race.

Three sources tell 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Coleman has been busy working on a long-term issue-oriented 'action group' that might eventually involve some lobbying in Washington DC.

Unless Coleman has a dramatic change of heart, University of Minnesota political science professor Larry Jacobs says his decision is a governor's race game-changer.

"The biggest names in the Republican Party like Jim Ramstad and now Norm Coleman are no longer in play. It is really wide open," he said.

Former Rep. Ramstad announced two weeks ago he's not running, and last month Brian Sullivan—who narrowly lost the endorsement to Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2002—announced he wouldn't run.

That leaves several Republican legislators like Marty Seifert, Tom Emmer, and former State Auditor Pat Anderson near the front of the pack.

"These are folks who are well known here at the capitol in St. Paul, but don't have very good name recognition out of state. It's really unclear whether they can attract the kind if independent support you need to win in Minnesota," Jacobs explained.

If Coleman does change his mind in March or April, it would be a tough road to the Republican endorsement.

The party just announced it would hold it's convention on April 30 and May 1—the earliest they've ever had their state endorsing convention.