Barnes, Thurmond: Will He or Won't He Run?

Georgia voters will have to wait a little while longer to find out if two of the state's most high profile democrats will join the already crowded race for the governor's mansion. Its eleven months to the gubernatorial primaries … more than a year and a half to the elections. But already the contenders are jockey-ing for the lead.

At the Democrat's annual Jefferson Jackson dinner in Atlanta last night, it was the undeclared candidates for governor who seemed to garner the most attention.

One is former governor Roy Barnes, who wasn't shy when it came to criticizing the state legislature under Governor Sonny Perdue. Barnes says special interest groups have taken over shaping the state’s legislative agenda.

The group's other undeclared and possible contender in the race to become Georgia's next governor is Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond. Thurmond says his candidacy is not a criticism of the Perdue administration but is rather a reflection of the state's challenging economic times. Thurmond says its time for a change in leadership.