PORTLAND -- State Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) said Thursday he was considering a run for governor in 2010, but at the moment the race was far from his mind.

“If you’re asking me if I’m thinking about it, the answer is yes I’m thinking about it,” Courtney said at the Oregon Convention Center outside of the Leadership Summit meeting.

“But I got another project I got to finish first, and that is the Oregon legislature.”

Courtney said that the state’s dismal economic forecast and the start of the upcoming legislative session in January were at the forefront of his mind at the moment, and while he was mulling over a run for governor, it was not his priority at this time.

“It’s like being an athlete, and I got a season and a team I got to compete with right now,” Courtney said.

Other Democrats who have said publicly that they are considering the position include outgoing Secretary of State Bill Bradbury and former U.S. Senate candidate Steve Novick.