Former Wis. governor to run for Senate

MADISON, Wis., Aug. 19 (UPI) -- Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson has announced campaign co-chairmen, but stopped short of formally announcing he will run for the U.S. Senate.

Thompson said Wednesday that state Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen and Jim Klauser, a top aide to Thompson when he was governor, will be the co-chairmen of his campaign, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

"I'm honored to have the support and commitment of Jim and J.B.," Thompson said in a statement. "We need to get America working again. We can do better, and it begins with getting government out of the way of creating the jobs that make our families and communities stronger."

Thompson, a Republican, has been indicating a run for Senate for some time. Naming co-chairmen has been the strongest signal yet he intends to run, the newspaper said.

"No one is better prepared to bring Wisconsin common sense and leadership to the U.S. Senate than Tommy Thompson," Van Hollen said. "Tommy demonstrated to the world how conservative policies can turn an economy around and put families back to work. I'm proud to be part of his team as he plans for the future."

Klauser said Thompson will launch a formal campaign after Labor Day.