U.S. Rep. Jim Gerlach, R-Chester County, announced yesterday that he is considering a bid for the GOP nomination for governor in 2010.

In a statement e-mailed to reporters, Mr. Gerlach said, "I plan to make a decision in the coming weeks. It is quite possible there may be five or six Republican candidates for Governor running by the time the dust settles."

Before the veteran congressman's announcement, the names most often mentioned as potential contenders for the Republican nomination were Attorney General Tom Corbett and Pat Meehan, former U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Neither has officially declared his candidacy.

As both Mr. Meehan and the four-term congressman are from the southeastern corner of the state, their potential competition would seem to offer a geographic advantage to Mr. Corbett, who, at this early stage, is the only western contender in the speculative sweepstakes for the GOP race. If, however, as Mr. Gerlach predicts, the contest ends up attracting a larger field, that political calculus could shift.

The state Constitution bars Gov. Ed Rendell from seeking a third term in Harrisburg. The Democratic nomination to succeed him has the potential to attract a large field as well. Among the names prominent in the early speculation on that race are those of Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and state Auditor General Jack Wagner.