Democrat Mary Burke might now be firmly in the 2014 race for Wisconsin governor, but state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout said she's still exploring whether she’ll run.
Asked on Monday morning what her plans were, the Alma Democrat said she still needed to find out how much support she’d have if she challenged Republican Gov. Scott Walker next year.
"I’m doing a lot of homework, getting around the state," she said.
Still, she noted, "I’ve received a lot of people who are encouraging me."
Vinehout said she needed until "the beginning of the year" to make her final decision. In the meantime, she said, she wished Burke, a former Trek Bicycle executive who announced her candidacy on Monday, well in the race.
"Politics is fun, it’s exhilarating, it’s important," she said. "Running for office is a great education. and I think everybody should do it at least once."
Vinehout also said she thought any potential primary, whether it involved her or not, would be good for Democrats who hoped to beat Walker.
"Right now, there is no heir apparent,” she said. "Unlike the recall election, there’s a lot of time for people to get out there, to get to know who the candidates are."
"This is something that’s part of democracy," she said.
