Are you a whiz on local election issues? Do you have a special acumen for business matters? Maybe you should be thinking about running for Secretary of State in 2006. The Rocky Mountain News reports so many would-be candidates have dropped out, it's a wide open race. What exactly does the Secretary of State's office do? It oversees regulation of elections, business and licensing.

Elected every four years, the Secretary of State serves as the Chief executive of an office that oversees and administers many laws including the Colorado Business Corporation Act, Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act, Colorado Limited Liability Company Act, Colorado Election Code, Voter Registration Law, Campaign Finance Laws, Lobbyist Regulation, Uniform Commercial Code, Bingo and Raffles Laws, and Notaries Public Laws.

Here's who might be interested in running:

• Scott Doyle: Larimer County clerk and recorder (Republican)
• Joe Stengel: House minority leader (Republican)
• Ken Gordon: State senator (Democrat)