Dave Kranz of the Argus Leader, while confirming that Senator Johnson won't run for governor in 2010, notes the issue of the Senator's campaign warchest, which some bloggers have discussed in recent weeks:
But there still is a possibility that the Johnson seat could be open. Some numbers indicate he might not run for re-election.
Johnson has the fourth-biggest debt of any senator in the Senate Class of 2008, and his cash on hand is the third-lowest of any member in that year's group.
He has a $64,271 debt and $15,839 cash available for a campaign. Of course, 2008 is still three years away, and history shows that Johnson usually gets a later start than most when raising money for re-election.
The numbers aren't necessarily a red flag, said Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report.
"(Tom) Daschle and (Stephanie) Herseth were sucking most of the money out of the state, and it is considered bad form to raise money in a cycle where your colleagues need to raise money," she said.
Having campaign debt two-and-a-half years after an election does seem a bit odd. One additional problem for Johnson is that he won't be able to rely on Daschle's massive fundraising network and his twisting of donor arms like he did in 2002. Kranz also mentions the possibility of Governor Rounds, who will cruise to re-election in 2006, running against Johnson in 2008. Many insiders discuss such a race and some polls indicate a distinct Rounds advantage. Kranz notes that "Those who speculate about South Dakota politics say there won't be another high-interest election in the state until 2008. That is when Sen. Tim Johnson's term expires."
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