Pawlenty Won’t Seek Third Term As Minn. Governor

By Adam Nagourney
NYT

Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, will announce today that he is not seeking a third term, his associates said. That decision signals that Mr. Pawlenty is strongly considering seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

Mr. Pawlenty, 48, has worked to raise his profile at a time when his party has been struggling to find new leaders – and particularly find leaders outside of Washington. Most recently, he has been involved in high-profile maneuvering with his Democratic-controlled state Legislature that has permitted him to present himself as a champion of tax and spending cuts, positions that have earned him support among many Republicans.

He has also taken pains to separate himself from the Republican party structure, saying the party has to develop a strong agenda to counter President Obama.

(More here.)