Tom Horner, former staffer to Republican U.S. Senator Dave Durenberger and co-founder of public relations firm Himle Horner, said Monday that the 2010 governor's race needs a moderate voice -- and that he hasn't ruled out the possibility of running himself.
"People from both the Independence Party and the Republican Party have talked to me about running and I have not said no at this point," he said. "My preference would be that it would be someone other than me."
While he might have trouble getting endorsed as a Republican, given his call for moderation and delegates tendency to look for purity, Horner could make a splash as a Independence Party candidate given his time in politics and experience in the state.
He said he and others are looking for a candidate who can take on big issues without partisanship or allegiances that bog them down.
"I think that, given the candidates that are out there right now in both parties, it's highly unlikely that we're going have a campaign and a conversation focused on the real issues of Minnesota. So I'm looking at: Is there a way to bring a moderate voice to the campaign?" Horner said. "Both parties now have become so unable to solve the big ideas because of who they owe their allegiance to."
