Cory Tennison, who sought the DFL endorsement for Ramsey County Attorney in 2006, says he'll run again for the office in 2010.

Tennison -- an assistant Scott County attorney specializing in sexual and physical abuse cases -- led longtime incumbent Susan Gaertner in the '06 DFL convention balloting, but when he failed to get the necessary 60 percent after five ballots, he withdrew in favor of the incumbent. Gaertner went on to run unopposed in the November election.

Now that Gaertner has said she is running for governor and won't seek a fifth term as county attorney, Tennison said he's definitely in the race. A St. Paul Central grad and current Highland Park resident, Tennison said he has about $11,000 in cash on hand in his campaign treasury.

Tennison said he has the support of such DFLers as state Sen. Mee Moua; Reps. Sheldon Johnson, John Lesch, Carlos Mariani and Cy Thao; and St. Paul City Council Members Melvin Carter III, Lee Helgen and Dave Thune.

The DFL endorsing convention is more than a year away.

Earlier today, we reported that Dave Pinto, a domestic violence prosecutor in the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office, has announced his candidacy and filed the necessary paperwork to run for his boss's job: Ramsey County Attorney.

Pinto's list of supporters includes campaign co-chairs Peter Lindstrom, mayor of Falcon Heights, and Marlene Kayser, a longtime St. Paul DFL activist. Also backing him are A.L. Brown, chair of the St. Paul Human Rights Commission; Stu Alger, former chair of the St. Paul City DFL; Mitch Gordon, former chair of the Senate District 64 DFL; Peter Armstrong, former president of the Highland District Council; Shawn Bartsh, president-elect of the Warren Burger Inn of Court; and David Galligan, former president of the Ordway Center for the Arts.