Ex-House Speaker Gregg weighing governor’s race

Former Indiana House Speaker John Gregg said the impact on his family is the biggest factor he's weighing as he gives "serious thought" to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor next year, a report Monday said.

Gregg, 56, discussed the race in a telephone message left Monday with the Terre Haute Tribune-Star.

"I am giving this serious thought. I truly am. I've got pros and cons," Gregg said in the voice mail message. "With that said, I appreciate all the encouragement, but I want people to understand I've got a couple drawbacks and I've got a whole bunch of things I've got to decide before I do this — a couple that will be the last two or three (things) I've got to decide."

Those considerations include being able to spend time with his two teenage sons. One is a freshman at Butler University. The other will be a high school senior in the fall.

"If I do this, I'd miss his senior year, and I don't know if I want to do that. Because I had a ball with the other one during his senior year," Gregg told the newspaper. "So those are just a couple of the issues.

"And there's some issues I've checked off, saying, 'Yeah, you could run.' But I've still got a bunch of others to decide, and I want people to realize that I'm not to that point yet. And the kids are going to be the final decision as I'm continuing trying to work through some issues and come to a conclusion as to what I'm going to do," he said.

Gregg was speaker from 1996 to 2002 and represented parts of Vigo, Sullivan, Greene, Knox, and Daviess counties in the House from 1986 to 2002. He currently practices law in Sandborn, about 40 miles south of Terre Haute.

Other potential Democratic gubernatorial candidates include U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly and former U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth. Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel ruled himself out of the race Saturday. Former U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh said last month that he wouldn't run for the office he held for two terms, and former U.S. Rep. Baron Hill has said he doesn't expect to run.

Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels can't seek re-election because of term limits. U.S. Rep. Mike Pence is among Republicans who might run.