To be honest, I expected one of the Leinenkugel brothers to run in Wisconsin’s next gubernatorial race – what with their strong local ties and nice hair – but sadly, 2010 just isn’t the year. I mean, Dick’s already Wisconsin’s Secretary of Commerce (which I’m sure is an important job), so how hard would it be to parlay the Leinenkugel family’s Chippewa Valley beer royalty into a statewide political one? Sounds easy to me.

But I’ll keep dreaming. Just like Jared Christiansen, the 17 year old kid from Ellsworth who recently tossed his hat into the governor race ring. Man, when I was 17, I was still laughing at the word “gubernatorial,” which I totally don’t do anymore. According to WQOW.com …

• Despite being only 17, Christiansen says he is ready for the state's top job.
• "I'm very responsible, my parents are actually over-the-road truck drivers so they're gone 2 weeks at a time and I have to take care of the house, clean the house, I have three pets, I do my own schooling at home and I work 40 hours a week as a manager at McDonald's," says Christiansen, democratic governor candidate.
• … He says his priorities are to create jobs, expand education and keep taxes down, but his biggest focus is on health care.

Well, good luck to Jared, but we’ll be watching Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton’s campaign pretty closely, since she’s the chair of the Wisconsin Arts Board and all. Not sure what it might mean for arts in Wisconsin if Barb gets elected, but it’ll probably mean more than if this guy got the job. And check out who wants Barb’s job.