Former HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson Preparing for Wisconsin Senate Run

Tommy Thompson, who served as Health and Human Services secretary under President George W. Bush, is gearing up for a possible run for the Wisconsin Senate seat held by Russ Feingold, a Democrat.

Thompson, a former Wisconsin governor, is lining up donors and reaching out to political allies in the Republican Party to examine the feasibility of mounting a campaign this year, Politico reported Monday.

"The governor has taken additional steps in the past week and will continue to do so over the next several weeks. If the meetings go well, you can expect to see an exploratory committee set up near the end of March," Bill McCoshen, former state commerce secretary and Thompson campaign manager, told Politico.

Analysts say Thompson could have an uphill battle in challenging Feingold, a three-term incumbent, but a recent poll indicates he could have a shot. The Rasmussen survey found last month that Feingold leads the two declared GOP challengers, David Westlake and Terrence Wall, but would be running behind if Thompson got into the race.

Thompson ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008.