Republicans wanting to be governor may have been all the news the past few days, but today a major Democrat has said he is looking at the job as well.

Knoxville-based businessman Doug Horne, a former chairman of the Tennessee Democratic Party, confirmed to NashvillePost.com today that he is considering running for governor in 2010.

Horne's name had been circulating around Nashville for the past few days as a possible contender and today he said that he is looking at the possibility seriously.

"I have been approached," Horne said, "by a number of people who have asked me to run for the Democratic nomination. Those calls have been coming in from people I trust and respect from different parts of the state encouraging me to step forward."

Over the next few weeks, Horne said that he would be speaking with Democrats from across the state and make his final decision based on their advice. Horne didn't want to commit to an exact timeline, but said he wouldn't let his exploratory period linger.

In 2002, Horne was briefly a candidate for governor but pulled out of the race to concentrate on his business. He is the president of Horne Properties Inc., a retail and commercial development company with properties all over the nation.

Former Democratic Majority Leader of the Tennessee House of Representatives Kim McMillan of Clarksville already has formed an exploratory committee for the governor's race and Congressman Lincoln Davis and State Senator Andy Berke of Chattanooga are considering runs as well.