MADISON, Wis., March 26 (UPI) -- A Wisconsin political scientist predicts the former governors making presidential nomination bids will pull ahead, even if they're trailing in the polls now.
"The governors are undervalued at the moment. If I were an investor, I'd invest in governors," Barry C. Burden a political science professor who studies presidential campaigns at the University of Wisconsin told the Washington Times. "During these next few months, they're going to begin to introduce themselves."
Early primary polls favor high-profile candidates with greater name recognition, he said. And while the current list of primary candidates is heavy on U.S. senators, Burden said only two of the United States' 43 presidents have been elected while serving in the Senate.
Former governors seeking the Republican nomination are James S. Gilmore III of Virginia, Mike Huckabee of Arkansas, Mitt Romney of Massachusetts, and Tommy G. Thompson of Wisconsin.
Only one governor is seeking the Democratic nomination, New Mexico's Gov. Bill Richardson. Two former governors, Tom Vilsack of Iowa and Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, both dropped out of the race, the Washington Times reported.
