Democratic state Sen. Tim Cullen bowed out of the governor's race Wednesday, saying he can't raise the money to compete with better-known opponents and he has no desire to participate in what he said was going to be a "political war."

His departure leaves former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk as the only announced Democratic candidate to take on Republican Gov. Scott Walker if a recall election is ordered. A number of other high-profile Democrats, including Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and former U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, are considering running.

Petitions seeking to force a recall election against Walker are in the process of being verified. The recall was largely motivated over anger related to Walker's proposal that effectively ended nearly all collective bargaining rights for most public workers.

Cullen was among 14 Democratic state senators who fled to Illinois for three weeks in a failed attempt to stop the bill from passing.

Cullen, a moderate who once served a top position in Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson's administration, said he wants to try to bring the two parties together. But he said a recall election against Walker would be a "non-stop political war."