Perhaps I missed this reported elsewhere, but Secretary of State Mark Ritchie told the Red Wing Republican Eagle's Mike Longaecker that he will not seek the DFL gubernatorial nod in 2010.

According to Longaecker, Ritchie even has a bit of work to do if he wants to run for re-election:

Ritchie said he will lobby his wife for a second term in office, but rejected the idea of seeking higher office, noting some have urged a gubernatorial run.

"I've been pretty resistant to that," he said, adding he prefers his current post, which Ritchie said "allows me to focus on the democracy itself."

As everyone knows, the gubernatorial field is crowded, though thanks to the U.S. Senate recount, Ritchie has a higher profile than most potential opponents. He would be well-positioned among lefty delegates, but fund-raising would be a challenge, and a drag.

Conversely, unless next year is a huge one for Republicans, Ritchie would be a significant favorite for a second Secretary of State term given Democrats' and independents' general satisfaction with how he handled the recount.