The local CBS channel in Minneapolis reports that Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, a possible 2012 GOP presidential candidate, will announce today that he is not running for a third term as governor in 2010.
Pawlenty was narrowly re-elected in the big Democratic year of 2006 — and in what is usually a Democratic state, though it has a habit of electing GOP governors — and had reportedly made the list of finalists to be John McCain’s running mate.
Keep a close lookout for Pawlenty’s actions in a few key areas: His continuing budget battle with the heavily-Democratic legislature, where he’s taken a strong anti-tax line; potential travel around the country for GOP candidates; and of course, how he handles the upcoming battles over whether or not Al Franken gets an election certificate to the U.S. Senate.
