November 2014 may be more than a year away, but the governor’s race is already a hot topic. Madison school board member and former Trek Bicycle executive Mary Burke ended months of speculation by officially announcing that she will run for governor. The Harvard-educated businesswoman has the personal wealth and outsider status that Democrats believe is necessary to challenge Gov. Scott Walker.

Public Policy Polling released polling data before the announcement on Burke and other potential challengers to Gov. Walker, including Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, and former Assembly Majority Leader/current Outagamie County Executive Tom Nelson. Walker leads each of these potential candidates in a head to head.