For a well-known candidate there's not a rush to jump in yet. The next seven months are the time to organize and sense who else might be out there. A first point comes when the new legislature is seated in January. That marks the end of the lame duck session and sets the table for controversial issues that will drive the 2014 campaign.
The next decision point is after May when the legislature wraps up. Petition circulation begins in the fall, so the summer of 2013 is a time of detailed organization for the top contenders. Up until then the candidates will be identifying top political and financial support, but don't have to be that public.
