John Himle, of the PR firm soon to be formerly known as Himle Horner, said he hasn't had time to concentrate on the governor's race and doesn't have a favorite.

Tom Horner had been Himle's business partner, until Monday, when Horner, an IP gubernatorial candidate, divested himself from the firm.

"Obviously...I know Tom (Horner) the best and I think he would make an outstanding governor. I don't have any reservation about that at all. I really don't know Tom Emmer. In fact, I don't think I've ever met him. It obviously gets a bit complicated just because our past political involvement. But in light of the fact that I just haven't really had the time, haven't taken the time, to get into it," said Himle, a former five-term Republican member of the Minnesota House and a Gov. Arne Carlson appointee to the Metropolitan Airports Commission.

Emmer is the Republican-endorsed candidate in the race. Horner is a former Republican congressional staffer.