Dane County Executive Joe Parisi: Parisi's name is a familiar one in gubernatorial speculation, but he's often dismissed as a Madison liberal who may struggle to appeal to voters throughout the state.

Parisi served in the state Assembly for six years before he was elected county executive.

Asked about a gubernatorial bid in May, Parisi said he's "not ruling it out." But first, he's running for re-election in 2017.

U.S. Rep. Ron Kind: Kind is another frequently mentioned name, having represented the state's 3rd Congressional District since 1997. The La Crosse lawyer is chairman of the New Democrat Coalition, a congressional organization that describes itself as the party's "pro-growth, fiscally responsible wing."

Kevin Conroy: Conroy, CEO of Madison biotech company Exact Sciences, last considered a run for governor in 2009. He drew praise at the time from Democratic then-Gov. Jim Doyle. Conroy has since indicated he may still be interested in public office, and his name was frequently mentioned by Democrats looking at 2018. His company is still recovering from plummeting stock prices since the launch of its colon cancer screening test, but shares started climbing back up earlier this month. But this week, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he is not considering running for governor, opting instead to focus on the company.

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