There's a lot of talk (PIM and MPR) that businessman Brian Sullivan may indeed enter the race for governor. Earlier this summer he told me "now more than ever in this economic climate there's going to be an interest in someone who hasn't grown up in government." You could say the Republican frontrunner Marty Seifert has done exactly that, entering the legislature at just 24 years old. But it's those years of experience at such a young age that got Seifert to the top Republican spot as former minority leader.
Sullivan would be a game changer. So would Jim Ramstad or Steve Sviggum (who's still quietly itching to get back into the race but won't give up his day job as a Pawlenty commissioner). The other Republican to watch is Norm Coleman. I've been chatting with him on Facebook lately, off the record of course, but I don't think he's done with politics or a public life yet. Coleman has more than 5,000 supporters on the social media site and Seifert comes in below 1,000. It seems this still early race will still have some shake-ups.