WISCONSINREPORT.COM (04/16/2010) - Former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson says he told his family he has decided not to take on U.S. Senator Russ Feingold in Feingold's bid for re-election. However, comments suggest he hasn't ruled out running for some office sometime in the future. Feingold says he hopes the attention can now get back to the issues rather than whether the once popular former governor will jump into the fray. Meanwhile, a member of the Leinenkugel Beer family sounds like he might run.

“Boy, do I want to run,” Thompson told a crowd at a Tea Party Rally this week. “I would love to take this on. But I told my family last night that it’s time for new faces and new voices.”

The statement in front of the Tea Party group doesn't mean that is definitely the final word on Tommy Thompson being the head of a run for something in the future. In typical politician style, and, in particular, the Tommy Thompson style, he won't say that he will never run for a political office again. And, it's safe to say that he is not done with campaigning in some way, because he expects to carry the Tea Party message forward.

Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941), a United States politician, was the 42nd Governor of Wisconsin, after which he served as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. Thompson was a candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, but dropped out early due to lack of sufficient support for him to continue.

The Feingold Campaign released the following statement from Senator Feingold following reports that Secretary Tommy Thompson will not be running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

"I’m disappointed that Secretary Thompson decided not to get in the ring", Feingold stated.

"I’m sure there will now be talk about other candidates getting in this race, but it’s my hope that the election can now be focused where it should be - on the issues important to the people of Wisconsin and who will be an independent voice for them in Washington, working hard to move our state forward," Senator Feingold said.

The Feingold Campaign announced earlier this week that it finished the first quarter of 2010 with nearly $4.3 million cash on hand – with an average contribution of a very low $51.

The Feingold Campaign has 11 field offices fully staffed and up and running, 27 active regional campaign steering committees with more than 1,300 members who help advise the campaign on outreach in their local communities, endorsements from more than 2,500 Wisconsin elected officials, nearly 24,000 volunteers and more than 100,000 supporters more than six months before Election Day.

Given the fact that former Governor Thompson announced that he will not be running for U.S. Senate in Wisconsin, formere Wisconsin Commerce Secretary Dick Leinenkugel issued the following statement:

“I am a father, a husband, a Catholic, a patriot and a conservative," Dick Leinenkugel said.

Leinenkugel was appointed commerce secretary a year and a half ago by Governor Jim Doyle.

"I have been a private sector business person for nearly 25 years after serving four years as a Marine Corps’ officer," Leinenkugel continued.

"I am deeply committed to using my passion and my experience to help Wisconsin families. It has been what my family has been all about for over 150 years in Wisconsin," Leinenkugel said.

Leinenkugel says Washington DC has grown too expensive and too arrogant for the nation and for our Wisconsin families. He says he is hearing from every corner of the state that he is the right person at the right time to end Russ Feingold’s 18-year career of being a U.S. Senator from the State of Wisconsin.

But, he is not quite ready to announce that he is running.

"I look forward to being able to share my future plans within the next couple of weeks," Leinenkugel said.

Earlier this week, Leinenkugel said his resignation from the Wisconsin Commerce Secretary job would take place at the end of the week. Although at that time he would not say that he is a Republican or a Democrat, he did say that Ronald Reagan was a political idol, and that, he himself, considers himself a conservative.