[img_assist|nid=1415|title=Former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell|desc=University of California Berkeley|link=none|align=right|width=133|height=181]Two former California politicians thought to be done with elective office are eyeing statewide races in 2010.

The San Jose Mercury News is reporting that Republican Tom Campbell, a former San Jose congressman and most recently business school dean at the University of California, Berkeley, has formed an exploratory committee to run for governor in two years.

And the Sacramento Bee reported Monday afternoon that Joe Canciamilla, a former Democratic assemblyman from the East Bay, has taken out papers to run for attorney general in 2010.

Campbell has not sought public office since 2000, when he ran against U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and was defeated sizably. Since then he's served as the business school dean and also for two years as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's finance director.

From 1989 to 1993 and 1995 to 2001, Campbell represented parts of Silicon Valley in Congress, after working as a business professor at Stanford University. He also served two years in the California State Senate in the mid-1990s.

Campbell, considered a social moderate, could be part of a crowded field on both sides of the political ledger in the 2010 gubernatorial race. State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is reportedly in discussions to run as a Republican in two years, and former eBay CEO Meg Whitman and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina are both believed to be interested in the race.

Several Democrats, including Attorney General Jerry Brown and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, are also expected to run.

If Brown were to run and decline to run for re-election in his current job, that would open the way for Canciamilla, a moderate Democrat from Pittsburg.

Canciamilla served in the State Assembly from 2000 to 2006, but earlier this year dropped plans to run in a primary for a State Senate seat against another Democrat, Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier.

In doing so, Canciamilla said he was done with the rubber-chicken circuit. Canciamilla had served as a county supervisor, city councilman and school board member before coming to the Assembly.

No other Democrats have filed paperwork to run for attorney general in 2010. Republican Chuck Poochigian, a former state senator from Fresno, has an open account from his unsuccessful run against Brown in 2006.

ELSEWHERE on PolitickerCA.com:

• FlashReport: Poizner looking at 2010 governor's race
• Newsom files papers to form exploratory committee for 2010 gubernatorial run
• Brown non-committal on 2010 governor run