Ex-eBay Exec Eyes Gubernatorial Run

Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman is preparing to run for California governor in 2010, the Associated Press reported Monday. The Silicon Valley leader who served as an adviser to the 2008 presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., stepped down from the boards of eBay, Procter & Gamble Co. and DreamWorks Animation SKG as of Dec. 31, her spokesman confirmed. He said it was for "personal reasons and time commitments" but would not elaborate.

A person who is knowledgeable about Whitman's political aspirations told the AP that the 52-year-old wants to run for governor and her resignations were "a strong indication" that she wants to clear any commitments that might interfere with a run for political office. She will make the announcement official in four to six weeks, the individual said. Whitman is one of three Republicans who are considered front-runners in the 2010 California gubernatorial race. The others are state Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Rep. Tom Campbell. GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot run again under the state's term-limits law.

If Whitman were to win the GOP primary, she is likely to face a well-known Democratic opponent in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by 13 percentage points, the AP said. Former Gov. Jerry Brown, 70, now the state's attorney general, is thought to be the leading Democratic candidate if he decides to run -- unless Sen. Dianne Feinstein jumps into the race. Read more news about the race here.