SACRAMENTO, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- Former eBay Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman is laying the groundwork for a run to be California's next governor, political observers say.
The San Jose Mercury News reported Tuesday that Whitman, who gained prominence by campaigning for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain for president, would run in 2010 to succeed fellow Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is barred by term limits from running for reelection.
Whitman, 52, announced Monday she has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor.
"California faces challenges unlike any other time in its history -- a weak and faltering economy, massive job losses, and an exploding state budget deficit," Whitman said. "California is better than this, and I refuse to stand by and watch it fail."
Whitman has no elected political experience, which a Democratic Party leader pounced on, the newspaper reported.
"Unlike with eBay, there's no 'Buy It Now' button for winning the governor's race," state Democratic Party Chairman Art Torres said.
