Kinder tells college GOP he's running

Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder told a gathering of college Republicans in Washington Friday that he plans on running for governor in 2012, according to two separate sources who heard the comments.

The announcement by the two-term Republican isn't itself surprising, but Missouri Republicans told POLITICO it was the first time they had heard Kinder address his plans so specifically in a public setting.

"I will be running for governor in two years," Kinder said, according to two Republicans who attended the luncheon at Jack's Restaurant in Dupont Circle.

Kinder's speech to about two dozen students mostly focused on the importance of 2010 and how he would need their support two years from now.

"He said the first thing we could do was join his Twitter and Facebook pages," said a college Republican.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/33208.html